A Descendants Story: Part 3: Of Blood and Ashes
by TheroelWil98
Summary: (Sequel to parts 1 & 2) Solomon, Uma, Harriet and their army finally arrive with their goal to destroy Auradon. Mal, Ben, the VK's and their friends stand in their way, along with their new ally CJ Hook. Will good prevail, or will the magical power of the black cauldron prove to be too much for our heroes to handle? POV of multiple characters. It's time for the actual war...
1. Chapter 1: Villains

**IMPORTANT!**

**This is a sequel to my first story _A Descendants Story: Part 1: Out of Smoke and Darkness _and my second story _A Descendants Story: Part 2: Into Fire and Chaos_. ****Read those stories before starting on this one.**

**For the information on my OC's, check out my other story, _Descendants Story: Character Templates__._**

**A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the previous stories and those that have only recently found out.**

**A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

**Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 1: Villains

"Everything's packed and ready sir… We're just waiting for you at the moment…" Zevon announced somewhat meekly as he peeked around the open door of Solomon's room.

Solomon didn't react and instead continued to simply move his hand slowly around the rim of the black cauldron, which was the only noteworthy item still remaining in the room.

"Sir?" Zevon spoke up again, obviously trying not to evoke some sort of violent reaction from Solomon.

"I will be there shortly, tell everyone to wait!" Solomon snarled, not even glancing up.

Zevon promptly nodded and immediately hurried out of the room, probably to join the others who were already gathered outside.

Solomon still only paid mind to the cauldron in front of him and the magic he felt flowing out of it as he shifted his focus. It was so frustrating to know that he was able to use the cauldron, to activate it, and yet having to wait for the proper time to do so.

Following his and his associates' failed attempt at capturing Mal and thus bringing a swift end to the futile resistance of the Auradonians, some changes in their plans had to be made. Of course, they had taken it into account that their plan might not have succeeded, but the added twist of CJ's disappearance forced them to take some drastic measures.

They still had not yet found out what exactly happened to CJ. All they knew was that she had somehow disappeared from the scene of the battle just before it had ended. There had been numerous theories as to what could have happened to her and where she was now, each one more ludicrous than the other.

The sanest sounding one, and thus the one Solomon held onto, was that CJ had somehow managed to tag along with the portal that the heroes had opened to escape the battle. This theory still provided little information as to where CJ was now. Really, if she did actually teleport away from them, then neither him or any of his associates had any possible way of finding her.

The added worry Solomon carried more than any of the others was that CJ had been captured by Auradon. This only made sense to him, because if CJ had been teleported away, then she would most likely have ended up where the other Auradonians had been transported to as well. It would be nothing short of a miracle if CJ would have found a way out of that situation.

Others in his group, particularly Harry Hook, did not share his opinion and refused to believe that CJ could have been captured. Harry had been on edge ever since the battle, constantly berating over the fact that he wanted to head out and search for CJ.

Solomon had naturally put that suggestion down, but had allowed Harry to scour Auradon newspapers and the outskirts of Auradon City for any signs of CJ. So far, the search had been fruitless. There was no word of CJ or any captured individual in any Auradon news source, nor had any of their expeditions provided them with any intel as to where CJ could be.

Even though they hadn't found any proof that CJ had been captured, Solomon did not want to take any risks and had ordered his associates to move out of their current hideout. After some lengthy protests, the others had ultimately capitulated and the watch tower had now been stripped bare of any sign that they had ever even set foot in this place. Only he and the cauldron remained for now, with the others gathered outside the tower waiting to begin the long track to the coast.

Their plan of capturing Mal might have failed, but they had to endure nonetheless and set in motion the next big part of their scheme. That meant heading to the coast and pulling Harriet and the rest of their forces from the isle. The simple way through which they meant to accomplish this was still sending two people to the isle to warn her and have them prepare for the invasion. After some debating, everyone finally agreed to send Harriet's two pirates back, since they were not essential for the plan on the mainland and because Harriet would trust them. As of now, their plan was solid, but a lot could still change between now and then.

Solomon's main worry about the plan was again related to CJ. If she had indeed been captured by Auradonian officials, then she might have already spilled the beans on the entire operation. Leaving the tower was already a precaution if that was actually the case, but changing their base of operations was much easier done than uprooting their entire strategy. Solomon knew that in order for the larger outline of their plan to work, that Harriet and the hundreds of other allies they had on the isle would have to make the cross to assist them. CJ knew this and could therefore ruin the entire operation if she would tell on them.

Again, discussing this fact with the others had not gone over quietly. Harry was still desperate to find his sister and also skeptical of Solomon's theory that she had been captured by Auradon. Following that, he believed that even if she had been captured, that she would never rat on them.

Solomon doubted this heavily. He knew that neither he or anyone else on the team had treated CJ with anything resembling dignity for the past couple of months. He felt no remorse for this though. CJ had always been a pain and even on the isle there had barely ever been any people involved with her. His decision to have her come along to Auradon could now come back to bite him in the ass in a major way though. CJ obviously did not care very much for him or his cause and would probably grab every chance she could to stay alive if she was indeed in Auradon captivity. Solomon could very well imagine that even the Auradonians would be willing to overlook some of her past violations in exchange for information about him and his plans. After all, the Auradonians still did not have any solid information on his location and his plans as far as Solomon knew. If CJ could somehow be the key to apprehending someone as important as him, then she was an opportunity to them that they could not let slide.

If the Auradonians had indeed captured CJ, the best chance Solomon had of still going unnoticed would be that the Auradonians would not trust her and not heed her words of him. Solomon wasn't usually one to underestimate an opponent, but thus far the Auradonians had not really been all that successful in standing against him. He half-expected them to lock away CJ without hesitation, which would only work out better for him. Still, Auradon had previously shown a very forgiving side and even someone like CJ could still possibly be forgiven. If that would be the case, then the precautions he was taking at the moment would only be the tip of the iceberg.

"Horns!" A loud voice yelled from behind Solomon, who cringed as he slowly stood up off his knees.

"Yes Uma, always a pleasure to hear your silky-smooth voice." Solomon groaned as he turned around to see Ursula's daughter standing in the doorway with an exasperated look on her face.

"We've been standing outside waiting for half an hour. What in my mother's name are you still doing?" Uma asked, taking a step into the room.

"I'm brooding." Solomon mumbled, running his hand over the cauldron again.

"Well, put a cork in it. You were the one who was so eager to leave, so quit your whining and head out." Uma spat.

"You do not command me." Solomon snapped.

Uma rolled her eyes. "It's not a command, but I am telling you that you should either leave with us or you can keep rotting here alone for all I care."

"I see that I've tested your impatience. Fine, I'll not have you wait any longer." Solomon lamented as he grabbed the cauldron by its handlebars and began carrying it out.

"You still not letting anyone besides you touch your magic kettle?" Uma scoffed, heading out in front of Solomon.

"You're not giving me a reason to, seeing how your utter ineptitude in doing anything useful seems to grow by the day." Solomon sneered.

"One of these days this shithole attitude of yours will come to bite you in the ass." Uma told him through gritted teeth as they left the tower to find the remainder of their group standing further down the hill.

"Noted." Solomon mumbled as he walked over to where Zevon had placed the rest of his stuff.

"His highness is finally done powdering his nose?" Anthony lazily asked as he watched Solomon arrive.

"After he took his damn time." Clay added.

"Do everyone a favor and shut up for once!" Maddy snapped, staring daggers at the two.

"What? Are we now not allowed to criticize our glorious leader?" Clay retorted, making some sarcastic hand gestures.

"We're more occupied with the fact that your talking only dumbs down everyone around you." Zevon spat, joining Maddy.

"You watch your mouth!" Clay said, raising a finger.

"Oh, there go a few of my brain cells again." Maddy joked, patting her own head.

Clay immediately threw his stuff down and reached for the shotgun on his back when Uma intervened.

"Knock it off!" Uma yelled. "Jesus, you guys make me feel like a freaking babysitter! Can you honestly not keep from tearing each other's hair out for ten goddamn seconds!?"

"He started it!" Zevon retorted.

"Shut it!" Uma hissed, turning to Zevon. "You all just keep your distance! We won't have to hang around each other for long anymore."

"Big whoop." Anthony scoffed. "Unless he finally tells us the plan, we still have no idea where we're going!"

"I agree." Harry added, stepping up.

"Harry!" Uma practically whispered.

"Uma, you said so yourself. We're walking in the dark here! He needs to bring us up to speed! Where are we going? What are we gonna do? How are we gonna get CJ back? These are things I want to know." Harry ranted.

"In due time, Hook." Solomon spoke up, having tied some ropes around the cauldron to make it easier to carry.

"And you decide when that is, right?" Harry skeptically asked.

"Yes, naturally." Solomon smirked.

"God, your full of shit." Harry murmured.

"Noted." Solomon repeated a little more grumpily.

Harry refrained from making any further comments and instead simply rolled his eyes before joining Uma and Gil.

"Right…" Solomon began, addressing everyone after one more suspicious glance at Harry. "Now that we're all here, we can't afford to waste any more time. Let's get on our feet and head for the coast."

"See, now he's talking as though he has not been the one who did all the time-wasting." Clay said to Anthony in a persistent whisper that was clearly audible for everyone present.

Everyone stared intently at Solomon, who did not respond and instead picked up his own bag along with the cauldron and slung both over his back before moving down the hill.

"Hmm, seems like the complaints of us meager peasants are not important enough for his excellency." Anthony mumbled, seeming slightly surprised with Solomon's distant attitude towards his and Clay's comments.

"Knock it and get moving!" Uma urged the two as she also grabbed her own things and hurried after Solomon.

It did not take long before the group had left the relatively open space of the hill and tower where they had made their camp and instead found themselves in a dense forest that stretched on for miles. Solomon knew these woods all too well. He had previously spent two elongated periods of time in Auradon, during both of which he had been forced to mainly track through the woods. The differences between then and now were the simple facts that he was not alone anymore and that he now knew exactly where to go and what to do when he'd get there.

He and the others were heading for the coast, where they'd again find another place to lay low before sending Harriet's two pirates back to the isle in a barge. Once on the isle, they would explain the following step of Solomon's master plan to Harriet.

Basically, this entailed Solomon giving the inhabitants of the isle some sort of sign, most likely a blast of sparks, to signal them to make the cross. They would be able to do so because Solomon would dismantle the barrier around the isle completely in order to allow his allies to make the cross uninterrupted. If everything would work out as planned, Harriet and the others would be able to land in Auradon without facing much, if any, opposition. Once his allies would have arrived in Auradon, Solomon would finally activate the cauldron and call upon the army of the dead to help conquer the kingdom. Again, if all would go as planned then he should be able to accomplish his goal without facing much opposition. After all, the Auradonians knew what he wanted to do, but had no idea as to when or how he would do so as far as he knew.

CJ's capture and possible betrayal could once again prove to complicate things however. If the Auradonians would find out that he had more allies on the isle that he was planning on bringing over, they might very well again place a tight perimeter of ships throughout the waters of Auradon Bay.

This meant that all of the efforts Solomon had put into trying to lure troops away from the coast could be for nothing, and that angered him. This unforeseen circumstance meant that he was somewhat forced to speed things up a little, starting with bringing Harriet up to speed.

"Why the hell are we walking anyway?" Someone suddenly spoke up from behind him after about an hour of walking. "We have our freaking vanishing potions, why not use those?"

"Zevon." Solomon lazily said, not wanting to waste energy by talking.

"The potions are in limited supply. Once we set up a new base camp, I'll be able to produce new ones." Zevon explained.

"So, why don't we use the ones we have right now to get to base camp?" Anthony asked in his recognizable voice.

"I, ehm… Well, sir?" Zevon stammered, addressing Solomon.

"Three reasons, you dumb-witted airhead…" Solomon began, not looking back. "One, because at the moment we don't have enough potions to transport everyone. Two, because we don't even know where we're heading yet, and it would thus make no sense to transport to an unknown place. Three, because travelling through teleportation could cause any magically charged item, like the cauldron, to lose its abilities, which is something I'd like to avoid. Any more questions, or has your brain reached its limited capacity of information it is able to retain?"

"Y-you know… You keep berating us when we ask questions when you yourself barely take time to explain anything to us! Are you honestly surprised that we might not be able to just read everything that goes on in that deranged head of yours!?" Clay jumped in.

"Surprised? No, I am not. And even if you were able read my thoughts, it would probably still be far beyond what your limited mind could comprehend." Solomon spat.

"A true well of kindness as ever…" Anthony mumbled as he and Clay distanced themselves a little from the rest of the group.

"Why are you such an asshole anyway?" Uma suddenly asked as she walked along beside Solomon.

"I think kindness is unnecessary. Reaching my goal only requires discipline. Discipline and fear." Solomon answered.

"Does discipline still entail rewarding the people that helped you?" Uma questioned.

"Occasionally, when I see fit." Solomon shrugged.

"I know I warned you before, but if you screw me over, I swear to my mother…" Uma began.

"That you'll hunt me down to the ends of the earth, I get the concept." Solomon sneered. "It's not the first time I've heard the riddle."

"You better not underestimate your allies, and especially me. Don't say that I didn't warn you, Horns." Uma continued.

"And here I just spent a few minutes debating about why people tend to find you insufferable, thank you for reminding me, Uma." Solomon jeered.

Uma just scoffed and headed back to Harry and Gil, where she started whispering softly but persistently. On the other side behind him, Anthony and Clay were also in the midst of a heated but barely audible discussion. Only Maddy and Zevon obediently followed just behind him, not saying a word.

Solomon felt no sympathy for them, knowing that they followed him more out of fear than respect. The only who felt a genuine devotion to him was Ginny, which was one of the main reasons why he had felt the need to leave her on the isle. He needed at least one real ally back there to make sure operations still went according to his plans.

Now he was out in Auradon with a team of supposed allies who he mostly despised and who mostly despised him. The few people he could presumably count on only followed him out of fear, and he faced basically nothing but animosity with every decision he made.

The only thing he felt sure about and what he had anything resembling faith in was the black cauldron. It was his treasure… His golden ticket… His way out…

The cauldron was the only way of achieving his goal. Even better, the cauldron would furthermore allow him to ruin the lives of everyone who stood in his way. Control of the cauldron meant control of the world and the people within it. Now that his goal was in reach, Solomon only grew more eager finally activate his beloved relic and unleash its substantial power upon the world.

He was nearing the end of his patience. He had been in possession of the cauldron for so long now, but stupid inconveniences meant that he had not even been able to make a so-called practice run with it. Even now, with all the knowledge and magic available to him, he had to wait for the perfect opportunity to see his plan come to fruition.

Only a little while longer, maybe only a few more days, and then Auradon would finally see what he could be capable of. This agonizing walk through the woods would be the final hurdle, he was sure of it.

That agonizing journey took just over two days, in which nothing particularly noticeable happened apart from several members of the gang trying to tear each other's hair out. There were no Auradon troops in sight, which could only mean that they had escaped their previous hideout unnoticed. Even if the Auradonians were able to track them somehow, Solomon was sure that he and his crew had managed to build up a substantial lead, meaning that they weren't in any real danger.

Eventually, after almost running out of patience, they reached the shore. From the point where they arrived, it was only a short walk to the place where the crew had stashed the boat with which they had originally traveled to Auradon.

"It's all clear…" Uma stated as she looked out over the calm waters of Auradon Bay. "You'd have thought that if the Auradonians had captured CJ, that she'd have said that there are others on the isle who'll also make the cross."

"CJ's not a rat." Harry mumbled, also staring out over the water.

"You hold your sister in high regard. Do you honestly believe that she cares for the cause?" Solomon questioned.

"I believe that she hates Auradon as much as any of us. She'll swallow a toad before working together with them, or with Mal." Harry answered.

Solomon shrugged, but couldn't deny that, apart from maybe him or Uma, CJ was definitely one of Mal's least favorite people. "Still, let's not take any chances. The faster we get this done, the better."

"Don't tell us, tell those bozos." Uma sneered, nudging at the two pirates who were clumsily trying to figure out how to correctly push the boat back into the ocean.

Solomon rolled his eyes, but did not even attempt to waste any energy in trying to help them. After loading in their own stuff and receiving the last of their instructions, the pirates finally pushed the boat into the water before clambering on themselves and setting off towards the isle.

"We're really placing our hope in them, aren't we?" Uma pondered, sounding skeptical.

"We have little choice. Still, even they should be able to deliver the message to Harriet. Hell, we even wrote the instructions down for them." Solomon replied.

"The journey back to the isle will take them less than a day. We should hurry and find a new base of operations before we give them the sign." Uma suggested.

"I want to start the fighting as much as you do, Uma, but there is no rush. We find a place to lay low and try to think of some more things that could help our cause. If all goes well, we'll totally outclass the Auradonians." Solomon smirked.

"I know some caves nearby, unless his highness would like a place more suitable for his brooding." Uma sneered.

"A cave will suffice, we won't be staying long anyway." Solomon answered.

"No comment about my insult? How refreshing." Uma went on.

"I know you pride yourself on your ability to push other people's buttons, but I'm not Mal, I'm not gonna throw a tantrum simply because you want me to." Solomon spat.

"Tsk, if only you were as high and mighty as you believe yourself to be." Uma joked before finally walking back to the rest of the group, who were preparing to retreat to a less open area.

Solomon looked over at the isle one more time. Everything seemed calm from this distance, but he knew better. Out in that rotten place, there were hundreds of people currently preparing for an invasion. They were sharpening their swords or strengthening their shields, all because of his call.

"You coming? Or will you just share another 'private' moment with your kettle?" Uma yelled from behind him, making Solomon cringe.

Without a word, he thus again slung his bag over his shoulder, hoisted the cauldron up in his arms and began following the others.

Uma followed up on her words and indeed managed to locate a suitable cave with relative ease. The cave was nothing special, but would nonetheless serve as an appropriate hideout for a short time. After taking about an hour to settle in, the crew met near the entrance of the cave to discuss things.

"So, we just wait? Is that it?" Clay spoke up, leaning against the side of the cave.

"Why would we wait? We wait a day for Harriet to get the message and another to have her prepare, that was the plan, right?" Uma answered, looking over at Solomon.

"There are other measures we could take in order to make things easier for ourselves." Solomon began, stroking his chin.

"And he brings this up now… How unexpected…" Anthony mumbled from the corner where he sat.

"Better late than never." Solomon retorted.

"Just spit it out already, before we die of old age." Harry spat.

"Look, we're bound to face some opposition, no matter how sudden we attack, we can at least try to disperse our opponents a little." Solomon proposed.

"How?" Uma asked, sounding genuinely interested.

"Look here…" Solomon began, pointing down to the detailed map of Auradon on the ground. "We plan to have our troops land here, at Belle's Harbor, so they'll have a clear path to Auradon City. At the moment, we have to assume that the Auradonians think we're somewhere near here, at East Riding…"

"Only if CJ talked, which she'd never do." Harry emphasized.

"We need to be prepared if she did." Solomon responded. "Anyway, if they think we're there then they'll probably send a large part of their troops there, which only works out better for us. That doesn't mean that Auradon City or Belle's Harbor won't be defended however, we will be facing troops undoubtedly."

"So, what is your plan? Try to redirect those troops somewhere?" Uma questioned.

"No, that'd be too much of a hassle. We can however lure away their commanders…" Solomon spoke.

"Their commanders? Y-you mean Beastie Boy and Mal? You want to lure them somewhere else?" Uma asked, pulling up an eyebrow.

"It's probably easier than you think it is, Uma." Solomon started. "Baby Beast will probably want to end this war with the least amount of bloodshed. If we offer him a chance to do so, he might just take the bait."

"What bait? What are you saying?" Clay sneered.

"I go have a little talk with our beloved ruler." Solomon stated. "I propose another talk, at a location of our choice, supposedly to come to some agreement, when in reality we spring our trap, bring the others over and attack with them nowhere near the battlefield."

"He'll never fall for it." Anthony spat. "These Auradonians may be stupid, but they're not that stupid."

"We have no way of knowing." Solomon replied. "This way, we can make sure some of their most powerful players aren't there to stop our advance. Taking the harbor is our first objective. If we do that fast and decisively we'll bring down their morale."

"He has a point." Zevon jumped in before anyone could object. "A fast blow is the best way to start this war, and the Auradonians will easily be beaten if they're without their commanding officers."

"Say we actually do this, where would you want to meet for this 'talk'? What location?" Uma asked.

"Somewhere far from the harbor, so they can't intervene…" Solomon murmured, studying the map. "Here! History Island! Totally separated from the mainland, only accessible by one bridge and far enough from the harbor that they won't be of any nuisance."

"Right, just one problem, you just said that it's only accessible by one bridge." Clay spoke up. "If we're gonna meet there, how will we get out?"

"Zevon is already working on new vanishing potions." Solomon answered brusquely.

"I am!?" Zevon stammered, seemingly perplexed.

"You are…" Solomon growled.

"I-I am! Of c-course I am!" Zevon immediately replied.

"Good. Those potions will also allow me to go see the king and travel back immediately." Solomon went on.

"You really want to go through with this? It seems quite risky…" Harry debated.

"There are always risks involved, but if we succeed we can achieve an easy victory, which is what we need if we want to win this war." Solomon argued.

"What about the cauldron?" Anthony asked, looking at the relic from the corner of his eye.

"What about it?" Solomon replied.

"Are we gonna use it? Or, ehm, when are we gonna use it?" Anthony added.

"'We' aren't using anything! The cauldron is mine! I decide when to use it and I alone can use it!" Solomon snapped.

"But when?" Clay questioned, not seemingly undisturbed by Solomon's outburst.

"When I see fit! Whether that be during the first battle or after it. Have faith that I know when to play our trump card!" Solomon ranted.

"Have faith!? That's all we seemingly do with you and your kettle! We're a crew now, whether you like it or not, Horns! That means we get a say in things!" Uma scoffed.

"Don't test me…" Solomon grunted. "The cauldron is mine…"

Uma rolled her eyes and didn't respond. "C'mon Harry, let's get some air." She eventually said before heading towards the exit of the cave with her first mate.

"I guess the meeting is over…" Clay sighed as he and Anthony headed in the opposite direction, softly mumbling.

"Yes…" Solomon mumbled, feeling the anger inside him slowly die down. "Meeting over…"

Didn't they get it? He was the major catalyst behind this once in a lifetime event, the reason why this was happening. Without the cauldron, and him to activate it, the villains had no leg to stand on, no power strong enough to be able to compete with Auradon.

Uma had all her nice talks, and she could debate with him all she'd like about who was in charge, but even she had to know that she could have never rallied an army on the isle in the same way he had done.

It was all because of the cauldron. Whoever had the cauldron, held the absolute power. Uma was powerful as well, but not essential. Solomon only allowed her and Harriet to have somewhat of a say in his plans because even he knew that facing the powers of Auradon meant that he needed all the support he could get. The cauldron and the army of the dead were naturally the bulk of the strength of his forces, but Uma's magic and the still relatively substantial numbers of the fighters from the isle only enhanced the possibility that they could achieve victory.

No one in this plan was absolutely essential however. No one but him. Without him, they'd lose their most powerful magic wielder, not to mention the one individual who was actually able to activate and use the cauldron. Uma, Harriet and even Maddy or Zevon to a lesser extent could be seen as important to the cause, but in Solomon's eyes they were all expendable.

Uma had previously criticized the way in which he was willing to give up on CJ without much of a fuss, saying that he ought to look after his crew. For this cause however, Solomon felt more strongly than ever that the end justified the means. For him, the lives of a few of his subordinates seemed like a small price to pay if it meant that he'd win the war. After all, if he actually won the war then he would neither need or want anyone else around.

This was naturally something he hadn't told Uma or any other member of his crew, since he still needed their support for now. If he would actually go out and say that he saw no purpose for anyone else after he'd won the fight, he imagined that wouldn't sit well with the others.

Uma, despite persisting that she was evil, still wanted to create somewhat of a better world for herself and the other isle inhabitants. Getting rid of Auradon probably meant for her that she could found her own kingdom without the current inequalities. Besides that, all Uma wanted was to sail the seas with Harry. Really, those two had gotten even more clingy than they had been on the isle, which was quite sickening to be honest.

Solomon didn't care about creating a 'better' world, he just wanted to burn the old one down. Burning the old one down would then allow him to build a world in his image, one of blood and ashes…


	2. Chapter 2: Reuniting Part I

**A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

**A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

**Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 2: Reuniting Part I

"CJ? You awake?" Someone spoke as they softly knocked on her door.

CJ immediately straightened up in her bed, her messy web of tangled hair clouding her vision. She looked around, eyes still adjusting to the sudden brightness of the morning sun shining through the thin curtains.

Nearly everything in her bedroom was new and unused, just like the room itself had been before she had arrived. It was relatively small, especially compared to the double rooms of the other students, but it didn't bother CJ much since she had it to herself.

Since she came to Auradon with nothing but one set of clothes and a few small items, most other stuff was supplied by the school. She was given new clothes, though CJ made it perfectly clear that she didn't want a dress anywhere near her, all of which were neatly placed in a closet opposite her bed. She had a desk, a coatrack, a cabinet filled with books, a few comfy chairs and even her own television. All of it was second-hand, but still in pristine condition.

Her bed was undoubtedly her favorite place though. After months of scurrying from one uncomfortable sleeping space to another on the isle and yet more time spent on top of a ruined tower in Auradon, this was a major step up.

CJ had only moved in less than a day ago, right after her trial had ended, but already felt safe and at home. It was her first time seeing Auradon prep, the on the isle much maligned school, and all she could say was that she was pleasantly surprised.

Right after arriving, she was given a tour by none other than Fairy Godmother herself, who showed her around the entire grounds and told her of the history of the building. CJ tried to take it all in, but she was happily surprised that she actually found most of the stuff she was told rather interesting. The building itself didn't calm her enthusiasm either. The school was huge, with many classrooms and large halls, hundreds of colorful lockers, a kitchen, a large courtyard and dorms for every student. CJ was particularly amazed by the gym and the S.A.S. arena, both of which she was eager to try out. It was bigger than any building CJ had ever been in, but it still felt homely and carried a friendly atmosphere.

Besides the school, there were the grounds. The gardens were enormous and filled with flowers in colors CJ didn't even know, though most were a bit wilted in the colder weather. The tourney field also sparked her interest, since she counted herself as quite the sports enthusiast. There were forests surrounding the school from practically every side which still counted as the school grounds, meaning she also had access to those.

By the end of the day, CJ was nearly dizzy with exhaustion but still felt extremely happy and grateful that she was allowed to actually come here and 'enjoy her life a little', as Archer had said.

Speaking of Archer, she had only seen him at the end of the day when he had escorted her to her own room. CJ had had the feeling that Archer wanted to talk, but she felt so tired that she had rather rudely slammed the door in his face before practically jumping into her new bed and falling asleep.

Now that she was a bit more awake though, she finally brushed the hair from her face and turned to the door. "W-who is it?" She asked, yawning a little.

"It's me." A voice she recognized as Archer's answered. "I brought breakfast and I need a quick word. Can you open up?"

CJ groaned a little inwardly but did throw her blanket off herself before getting up and shuffling towards the door, which she unlocked as she simultaneously rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Good morning." Archer said with a broad smile once CJ opened the door, still in the messy tank top and shorts that served as her pajamas. Archer, on the other hand, looked fresh and awake with his hair combed and wearing normal clothes. "You look like you had a good night's rest."

"A rest you rudely awakened me from." CJ murmured before yawning again. She raked her fingers through her hair in an attempt to make herself more presentable but immediately froze when she saw the platter in Archer's hands.

"I told you I brought you breakfast." Archer grinned as he let himself into the room and placed the platter on CJ's desk.

"Now this I could get used to." CJ smirked as she reached past Archer and grabbed a piece of toast which she hastily munched up.

"Any plans for today, your first free one in Auradon?" Archer asked, plopping down in one of the chairs in the room.

"Look around, relax a little… Why? You want to join me?" CJ replied with a smile as she picked up a brush and began working on the tangle that was her hair.

"I'd love to, but I have been summoned to the city. We're gonna discuss our tactics regarding the villains today following the information you provided for us. We'll also most likely select a date for when we're gonna investigate the location of the hideout." Archer explained.

"Oh." CJ answered meekly as she finished brushing her hair before starting to braid it.

"I know that it's not ideal, but I won't be here for the larger part of the day." Archer added.

"And I can't come with you?" CJ asked semi-hopefully.

"I'm afraid not. You have been acquitted, but I think it's still too early to invite you into secret meetings." Archer answered.

"Fine, those meetings sound boring anyway." CJ shrugged as she grabbed the platter with breakfast and sat down on the chair next to Archer's.

"You'll be okay, right? I mean, you can handle being here without me?" Archer inquired.

"I'm not a child." CJ sneered as she picked up some small piece of what looked like meat and took a bite. "Oh my god, what is this?" She asked once she took her first bite.

"Bacon." Archer replied with a grin. "Fried pig meat. It's a favorite in Auradon."

"I want more." CJ mumbled as she immediately grabbed the second piece from the platter and hastily chomped it down.

"You can have more. You can get all the food you want from the kitchen." Archer smiled, clearly enjoying seeing CJ this happy. "But you heard me, right? Will you be okay without me here?"

"I'm fine. You know, this place isn't as bad as I'd thought." CJ pointed out, taking a sip from the glass of orange juice Archer had also brought.

"So, anything specific you want to do? Anything catch your eye during the tour yesterday?" Archer went on.

"Oh, I want to try out that, ehm, Swords and Shields thing… I believe it's called that…" CJ said, wiping her mouth.

"They showed you the arena? Well, great. I'm on the team, I can talk to the captain and see if she'll spar with you." Archer offered.

"Wait, you're not the captain? A-and the captain is a girl!?" CJ asked, perplexed.

"Yeah, is that so weird?" Archer retorted, raising an eyebrow.

"I thought you Auradonians were so traditional, not allowing girls to anything violent and so on." CJ shrugged.

"We're transitioning." Archer replied. "The team captain is Lonnie, daughter of Mulan. You fought against her."

"Oh…" CJ sighed. "Do you think she'll hold that against me?"

"Nah, Lonnie's chill most of the time. I'll talk to her before I leave. But come to think of it, you haven't really made friends here yet, have you?" Archer suddenly questioned.

"I've only been here a day, don't pressure me." CJ moped.

"You should walk around a little, meet some new people." Archer suggested.

"I hate new people." CJ whined, placing the empty platter back on her desk.

"What about me?" Archer asked.

"I stand by my statement." CJ teased, getting up and ruffling Archer's hair on the way to her closet.

"I'm serious though." Archer persisted, turning around in his chair to keep looking at CJ. "Look, I still really like you, but I like my friends as well. If you could all connect a little, then, ehm, that'd just be great…"

CJ sighed as she looked through all her new clothes for something to wear for the day. "I realize that… I did promise myself that I'd at least talk to the other villain kids… Just to move past, you know, everything…"

"You okay?" Archer questioned, sounding a little concerned.

"Well, I'm guessing you never had to try to make friends with people you spent the previous years thinking nothing but hateful thoughts of." CJ sneered.

"I can't say I have." Archer nodded. "You need help?"

"I'm a big girl, Archer. You don't need to worry about me." CJ smiled.

"Okay, I trust you." Archer complied as he stood up and looked at his watch. "I'll be heading off soon. I'm gonna go talk to Lonnie real quick about that possible sparring session, after that I need to head to Auradon City for that meeting."

"How long will you be gone?" CJ asked.

"Pff, could be hours. Those Auradon officials like to blabber on about any useless stuff…" Archer lamented.

"Right, well… When you come back, prepare to be astounded by the number of new friends I'll have made." CJ piped up.

"That's the spirit." Archer grinned, raising his hand to high-five CJ.

"You can go, you wouldn't want to be late." CJ advised.

"I'll miss you." Archer pouted as he moved behind CJ, who rolled her eyes in mock annoyance before giggling anyway when she felt Archer place his hands on her shoulders and kiss her softly on her cheek.

"Go! Or I'll throw you out!" CJ threatened.

Archer just smiled in response and picked up the empty platter on his way out before waving one more time as he closed the door behind him.

CJ leaned against her bed post for a minute, letting the conversation she'd had with Archer sink in. Of course, she knew that if she would go to Auradon that she'd have to befriend the people there, but how to go about it was another question entirely.

She knew the other villain kids, though they had been far from friendly towards each other back on the isle. If anything, she could always just start with Freddie and then work her way to the VK's. CJ felt kind of bad that she hadn't talked to Freddie yet since she arrived at Beast Castle with Archer, but she really hoped that the two of them could pretty much just pick up from where they'd left off and become close friends again.

Determined, but slightly apprehensive, CJ eventually put on a thin red sweater and ripped jeans before leaving her room and going out in search of other people. Her room was on the top floor on one of the far sides of the building. CJ wasn't sure if they had intentionally tried to distance her from the other students, or if they just didn't want to overwhelm her or something. She didn't pay this question any more mind and instead walked down the long hallway to her right, in the direction of the courtyard.

About halfway there, just as she stood at the top of the stairs near the front door, she suddenly heard a couple of voices below her. Not wanting to be spotted yet, CJ retreated into the shadows a little and carefully examined who the voices belonged to. To her shock, she saw Jay walk in front of three other boys about her age. They were all wearing matching shirts and carried helmets and sticks under their arms.

"Have you spoken to her yet?" The largest of the boys following Jay asked.

"No, we only saw her for a second when she was taken here after the trial." Jay answered, momentarily stopping to continue the conversation.

"Do you 'want' to speak to her?" Another one of the boys asked, this one with dark hair in a top knot.

"I do." The third boy spoke up with a loud voice. CJ cringed a little as she recognized his face and remembered him to be the boy she had knocked unconscious during the battle in the woods. "Now that we have so graciously allowed her to stay in Auradon, I believe she owes me an apology."

"She knocked you out, big deal!" The dark-haired boy scoffed. "You were at her trial, that girl has been through enough already."

"Still, it wouldn't hurt for her to-" The blonde boy began, before the dark-haired boy cut him off.

"I'm starting to wonder if you are even capable of unselfish thoughts." He went on.

"But what about you, Jay?" The large boy asked.

"I don't know." Jay pondered, leaning on his stick. "I mean, we were all in the same boat at one time. Me, Mal and the VK's… We all came from the isle… We were forgiven, even after we tried to steal the magic wand."

"But you saved the kingdom. Eventually you came up good." The dark-haired boy offered.

"Eventually, but initially we weren't any better than we had been on the isle." Jay contemplated.

"You were given time to adapt, I think she should get some too." The large boy shrugged.

"Do you honestly believe that she could be good? She joined Uma and that crazy skull guy, didn't she?" The blonde boy asked with somewhat of a shiver.

"That's what the trial was for, and the council gave their permission and their blessing." The large boy responded.

"And we as Auradon are supposed to give her a warm welcome." The dark-haired boy added.

"Mal told us that even she made peace with CJ, I never thought that could even be possible." Jay stated. "It'll be weird, but if Mal is giving it a shot, then so will I."

"Do we even have a choice actually? Archer has been practically demanding that we be nice to her and don't put her under too much pressure." The dark-haired boy added.

"He has his reasons." The large boy protested.

"Come on Alex, you and I both know he's completely smitten with her. Did you not see him during the entirety of the trial!? He couldn't keep his eyes off of her!" The dark-haired boy laughed.

CJ retreated a little further back into the shadows, just to make absolutely sure that they wouldn't see her. She was blushing uncontrollably and her heart had started beating faster when she overheard the others speak of her and Archer. To her knowledge, Archer had not spilled the beans on their 'relationship', or whatever they were, to anyone but Mal and the king.

"Well, I have to admit that she's not bad on the eyes." The blonde boy shrugged.

"If Archer did actually fall for her, then she has more to offer than just looks." The large boy said somewhat accusingly.

"Because unlike some of us, Archer isn't that shallow." The dark-haired boy added matter-of-factly.

"Laugh all you want, I'm just speaking my mind." The blonde boy sneered.

"I really wish that you wouldn't sometimes." Jay mocked.

"I'd suggest letting out your frustrations on the tourney field." The large boy interjected before the blonde one could protest.

After some approving mumbling, the four of them finally exited the front door of the school and headed out onto the terrain. CJ kept to her spot for a few more seconds, just to be certain that she was alone. She replayed the conversation she'd just heard over in her head. Of course she would the be the main focus of conversation in and around the school. Hell, her trial was the biggest in Auradonian history if Archer was to be believed. Of course the Auradon kids had their doubts about her and of course the isle kids had trouble looking beyond her past.

Taking a deep breath, CJ eventually left her hiding place and descended the stairs. She didn't follow the others out the front door though and instead headed to the right, in the direction of the courtyard.

The larger part of the school was practically deserted, with neither teachers nor students being anywhere to be seen. Fairy Godmother had explained to her yesterday that the school was momentarily closed following the renovations and the ongoing war against the villains. There were no classes at the moment and a large part of the students had traveled back to their respective homes. Some people, including the villain kids naturally, had opted to stay at Auradon prep though for one reason or another.

As CJ neared the courtyard, she could already distinguish the sound of a few voices. She peered around the corner of one of the open windows and saw a group of some five girls sit around a table. One look and CJ basically saw enough to know that she didn't want anything to do with these girls. They were all wearing frilly dresses in boring shades of blue or pink and seemed almost too bubbly for their own good.

Right when CJ decided that she'd look for Freddie somewhere else, she suddenly saw her on the other side of the courtyard with another girl, heading away from her.

"Crap." CJ thought to herself as she glanced over at the other girls one more time before stepping into the courtyard and heading to the other side in an attempt to intercept Freddie.

"Hey!" A voice called out, halting CJ dead in her tracks.

CJ hesitantly looked back to see all the girls staring at her, some with interest and others with downright disgust or fear.

"You're that girl, right? The one from the trial?" One girl with brown hair and a pink dress asked as she stood up from her seat and approached CJ.

"Yes." CJ answered, straightening up to show that she would not be intimidated.

"How you got out of that predicament, I guess I'll never understand." The girl went on, stopping just in front of CJ, crossing her arms and looking her up and down.

"The success of the Auradon justice system I guess." CJ replied somewhat icily. She was under the impression that this girl did not want to be her friend at all.

"I guess…" The girl mumbled, looking CJ up and down again. "Well, since you'll be staying here, allow me to introduce myself. I am Audrey, daughter of Aurora." She spoke more clearly before holding out her hand with a clearly feigned smile.

CJ grabbed her hand, but only shook it once. "Nice to meet you." She forced out.

"Totes." Audrey replied, her toothy grin still not stretching to her eyes. "And you were… Sorry, I can't remember…"

"CJ Hook, daughter of…" CJ began, before she was interrupted.

"Captain Hook, of course!" Audrey smiled. "Dear god, it must have been horrible to have a maniac like that for a father…"

CJ bit her lip. "He's not 'that' bad…"

"Oh, you poor thing…" Audrey pouted. "It must be tough, I mean, you probably don't know a lot of people here…"

"I know enough of them." CJ shrugged.

"Yes, you obviously know the, ehm, 'other' villain kids, but you weren't really friends as far as I'd heard." Audrey went on, obviously trying to push some of CJ's buttons.

"Things can change." CJ responded, starting to grow more and more annoyed with the girl. "Archer has been really helpful."

This statement immediately wiped the smile off of Audrey's face, and for the first time she seemed to show her genuine annoyance with CJ.

"Ah, yes. The two of you had that little mountain trip, didn't you? It was said that he saw something in you and wanted to get you into Auradon… I don't see it…" Audrey practically hissed, making the girls behind her start giggling.

CJ felt her temper rise and she quickly examined the people in front of her. The girls were with five and they were all taller than her, but she had no doubt that these princesses had never seen as much as a speck of combat. Still, she knew that if she would instigate a fight with some defenseless Auradon girls, that she would be thrown in jail before she knew it.

"Well, Archer did see it, which is what counts." CJ retorted, trying in vain to keep her voice calm.

"Tsk, it's all the same with you villains." Audrey spat, no longer faking her nice-girl act. "You come to our kingdom uninvited and take everything away from us decent people! It was the same with Mal, a-and now you…"

"Are you sure you want to finish that sentence?" A voice from behind CJ spoke up.

CJ spun around and saw Freddie and another girl hastily head in their direction.

"Freddie-" CJ began, but Freddie silenced her with a simple raised finger.

"Sorry, were you saying something, Audrey? Because you may need to think twice before trying to insult the best sword-fighter on the isle." Freddie spat.

Audrey immediately took a step back. "She, ehm… What?"

"That's right, back on the isle we all had a saying, which I'd say is still perfectly applicable here in Auradon; Don't mess with CJ." Freddie ranted.

Audrey notably gulped and looked CJ up and down one final time. "Believe me, I wasn't trying to do anything of the sort…"

"I didn't think so." Freddie grinned.

"You should be careful, Facilier, this wouldn't be the first time a villain came in and stole someone's man." Audrey sneered, still suspiciously eyeing CJ.

"You're talking to a 'villain'." Freddie replied in a cold tone. "We can do a whole lot more than just 'stealing your man'."

"Hmm, come on girls, there's nothing for us here…" Audrey scoffed before her and her fellow princesses turned around and hastily walked off.

"Freddie…" CJ began, but she was again interrupted when Freddie lunged forward and pulled her into a strong hug.

"It's so good to have you here." Freddie spoke, not releasing her from the hug.

"Hey…" CJ mumbled in reply, putting her arms around Freddie as well.

"I-I wanted to visit you, b-but we were told to give you space…" Freddie murmured, not letting go yet.

"I know… I actually came to find you…" CJ replied, squeezing Freddie one more time in her arms before taking a step back. "I-I want to fix things…"

"Fix things?" Freddie exclaimed, looking a little unsure.

"I need to say sorry for the things I did, a-and I hope that you can forgive me…" CJ stammered.

"Oh please, there's nothing to forgive." Freddie waved CJ's words away. "Can I just say that I'm very proud of you for finally coming to your senses and finally finding the way to Auradon all by yourself."

"Well, not all by myself…" CJ mumbled, crossing her arms uncomfortably. "It was more of an accident… But Archer, he, ehm…" She went on, stopping abruptly as she realized what she was about to say.

Judging from the sudden change in the way she looked at her, Freddie was equally uncomfortable in discussing this topic. "Oh yeah, ehm, I talked to him… About you… He said, ehm, things…"

"What things?" CJ asked in a persistent tone.

"Did you actually kiss him!?" Freddie responded, sounding both a little disbelieving and accusing.

"He told you!?" CJ squealed, astounded by the shrillness of her own voice.

"Is it true?" Freddie added, raising her eyebrows.

CJ couldn't see her own face, but she guessed that she must have gone completely red as she processed Freddie's question. "I, ehm… W-we… It… Y-yeah… Yeah, I did…"

Freddie bit her lip, seemingly trying to think of a fitting response to CJ's admission.

"L-look, Freddie… I-I know that, ehm, you and Archer had, ehm, something… B-but I didn't know… I didn't know until after I kissed him… I would have never done anything like that if I had known that you liked him… I-I wouldn't have…" CJ ranted.

"CJ, calm down…" Freddie urged, looking uncomfortably at the other girl still present.

"I'm trying to better myself. Please forgive me Freddie, I'm really sorry…" CJ went on.

"There's nothing to forgive, CJ…" Freddie repeated, a soft smile creeping up on her face.

"R-really? B-but why…" CJ stammered, a little unsure of what to ask.

"There's nothing between me and Archer, really. A-and if he makes you happy, I mean, what kind of friend would I be if I'd get in the way of that?" Freddie contemplated.

"The worst kind of friend." The other girl added, still staring somewhat questioningly at Freddie and CJ.

"Oh, CJ, this is Jordan. Jordan, meet CJ." Freddie quickly introduced the two.

"Nice to meet you." Jordan said as she stuck out her hand. She seemed genuinely nice to CJ, as opposed to Audrey.

"Hi." CJ replied, shaking Jordan's hand before turning back to Freddie. "Sorry, you were saying?"

"I'm happy for you." Freddie smiled. "Archer, well, he's great and if you two are in love then-"

"Woah!" CJ interjected. "W-who said anything about being in love?"

"Aren't you?" Jordan suddenly asked, coming in between Freddie and CJ. "I mean, you're not from here. But Archer is practically famous here for never being in a relationship."

"Yeah, why is that? Are his standards that high?" CJ questioned.

"No one knows, though not for lack of effort." Jordan giggled.

"What?" CJ asked.

"Practically every girl in Auradon has tried to date him at one time or another, but none succeeded." Freddie smirked.

"None, until you." Jordan preened.

"Pff, like I'm that special." CJ scoffed.

"To him you obviously are. He sees how great you are, CJ, that's why he chose you." Freddie replied.

"Freddie, I'm not great. I'm not even sure if, ehm, if we have anything… Not yet anyway…" CJ murmured.

"But you like him, right?" Freddie went on.

CJ shrugged heavily, breaking her own brain to come up with an answer. "Maybe… He helped me… He's, ehm, he's nice…"

"CJ, in all the years we spent on the isle you never once even had a crush on a guy. If you like Archer and he likes you, what's holding you back?" Freddie asked.

"This! Everything!" CJ pointed generally around herself. "You heard those girls, you hear what everyone thinks of me! Archer is, what, a prince, right? How could he ever be seen with me?"

"Nonsense!" Jordan spoke up. "The only ones who can influence what you and him have are you and him. I mean, look at Ben and Mal. No one thought it could work, not even them, but now they're getting married. If you like him, why not go for it?"

"Because CJ never lets herself have anything good." Freddie pointed out.

"Freddie!?" CJ exclaimed.

"It's true. Whenever something good happens to you, you distance yourself because you're afraid everything will get bad and you'll only feel sadder than before." Freddie said matter-of-factly.

"My god, that's terrible…" Jordan mumbled, looking compassionately at CJ.

"That's not true." CJ protested, crossing her arms in a defensive stance.

"CJ, look at me!" Freddie ordered, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Look, either you give you and Archer a chance, or I will step in and push that relationship down your throat!"

"Jesus, Freddie!" CJ exclaimed, looking up at her friend somewhat uncomfortably.

"You give me no choice! Now promise you won't go and sabotage your happiness again." Freddie pleaded.

"Fine! Fine! Yeah, okay…" CJ mumbled, unable to keep a smile off her face.

"Good…" Freddie sighed, grinning as she looked at CJ before pulling her into another hug. "I really missed you…"

"I missed you too." CJ mumbled, putting her arms tighter around Freddie.

"This is really sweet, you guys." Jordan gushed from the sidelines. "But, ehm, Freddie, are we still on?"

"What?" Freddie exclaimed, a little lost in the moment. "Oh yeah! CJ, ehm, you should come along!"

"To where?" CJ asked a little apprehensively.

"Well, we were supposed to meet some others near the tourney field to watch the guys play. That was until we, ehm, ran into you." Jordan explained.

"Some others? Who?" CJ hesitantly inquired.

"The VK's and some others…" Freddie replied. "Would you be okay with that?"

CJ took a careful breath. "Yeah… I think I would… I was actually planning on talking to them today… You know, to clear things up…"

"That's the spirit!" Freddie gleamed. "Come on, I'll show you that they're not bad at all!" She added as she grabbed CJ's hand and began pulling her onto the terrain around the school.

"Those, ehm, 'others'… Are they as bad as that Audrey?" CJ asked, letting Freddie pull her along.

"None are as bad as Audrey. It's just your luck that she was the first person you ran into. Don't pay her any mind, she has never been that fond of us villain kids." Freddie sneered.

"What did she mean about villain kids 'stealing someone's man'?" CJ added.

"Oh yeah, she was Ben's girlfriend until Mal showed up. He actually dumped her when he serenaded Mal in front of the whole school." Jordan jumped in, keeping up with Freddie and CJ.

"Ouch, and she's still not over it?" CJ inquired, failing to keep the amusement out of her voice.

"As Freddie said, don't pay her any mind. Audrey can actually be nice sometimes, but she turns into an entitled brat when things don't go her way." Jordan answered.

"Noted." CJ nodded as she watched the tourney field slowly come into vision.

On the field, there were about ten people running around and chasing a ball with helmets on their heads and sticks in their hands. A group of about four people sat on the bleachers, watching the people on the pitch and occasionally cheering or booing.

"Hey guys!" Freddie enthusiastically called out when she, CJ and Jordan got within hearing range.

The people on the bleachers looked up, and CJ saw their initially broad smiles turn into surprised frowns when they laid eyes on CJ. Only this up close, CJ finally recognized Evie and Carlos.

Beside her, CJ saw Freddie uncomfortably look between her and the people on the bleachers, obviously unsure of what to say.

"Oh, you're her!" A short, dark-haired girl spoke up as she left Carlos' side and hastily approached CJ. "We haven't been properly introduced yet. I'm Jane, daughter of Fairy Godmother."

"Oh…" CJ exclaimed, a little surprised by this girl's perky behavior. "I'm CJ…" She eventually replied, shaking Jane's hand.

"I know, of course I know." Jane smiled. "I followed your trial closely a-and my mother told me all about you after she showed you around yesterday."

"She did, did she?" CJ questioned somewhat uncertain.

"Yeah, and I want you to know that I absolutely won't hold any part of your past or your past decisions against you. You're in Auradon now, where everyone deserves a fresh start." Jane went on, broadly smiling all the while.

"I, ehm… Wow, thanks…" CJ mumbled with a small grin.

"Now that you're here, we should be friends. You could hang out with us, we could even invite you to a girl's night! What are your hobbies? Is there anything you like to do?" Jane ranted.

"I, ehm, I'm not sure about all of that yet…" CJ replied a little uncomfortably.

"Jane…" A boy with glasses spoke up as he came down the bleachers and went to stand next to the girl. "Didn't both Fairy Godmother and Archer tell us to give her some space and let her take her time?"

"Doug!" Freddie hissed, nudging her head at CJ.

"Oh, I'm Doug." Doug hastily said, extending a hand towards CJ.

"CJ." She greeted, finding it more and more difficult to remember all these names.

"I know." Doug smiled with somewhat of a blush appearing on his cheeks. "Oh, I'm Dopey's son, as in Dopey, Doc, Bashful…"

"Bashful, I know him! He was my, ehm, attorney!" CJ said.

"That's right, uncle Bashful chose to dabble in law." Doug acknowledged.

"He's your uncle?" CJ questioned.

"Yes, along with five others. They're quite a well-known group." Doug shrugged. "But I'm glad to see you here. Evie told me all about you after you arrived back here."

"Evie?" CJ muttered, looking up at the blue-haired girl still sitting motionless on the bleachers.

"Yes, my girlfriend. You know her, right?" Doug went on, also looking back at Evie.

If CJ had been drinking anything, this statement would have most likely caused her to spit it all out. Girlfriend!? Did Doug just say that Evie was his girlfriend!? CJ looked him over again with a little more interest. He looked like a stereotypical nerd, somewhat short with glasses and narrow shoulders, definitely not the type she would have thought the usually fashionable and flirtatious Evie to go for.

"Evie is your, ehm, girlfriend?" CJ slowly asked.

"She is." Doug answered, obviously happy with the fact.

"Really?" CJ added, the disbelief obvious in her voice.

"Yes." Doug emphasized, now obviously a little offended.

"How?" CJ went on, still too perplexed by this revelation to pay any mind to how rude she was being.

"That's quite enough." Evie suddenly raised her voice as she appeared behind Doug and placed a delicate hand on his shoulder.

CJ opened her mouth to say something but really couldn't think of anything, so she decided to just remain silent for now. Carlos also joined them, and CJ couldn't help but notice how he took one of Jane's hands in his own.

"Hey…" CJ said after breathing in deeply. Just like her during confrontation with Mal, she had absolutely no idea what she was supposed to say in a situation like this.


	3. Chapter 3: Reuniting Part II

**A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

**A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

**Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 3: Reuniting Part II

Evie gave CJ an inscrutable look, which she was unable to decipher as being either anger or indifference. Carlos on the other hand just looked a bit abashed, as if he too had absolutely no idea how to go about this.

Jordan, Jane and Doug kept on looking between the three, obviously expecting something of note to happen, while Freddie just stared down at her shoes.

"I've been wanting to talk to you all…" CJ eventually mumbled, not looking anyone in the eye. "I already talked to Mal, I don't know if you know…"

"We know." Evie replied curtly, crossing her arms.

"We heard." Carlos added.

"Well, I felt like we needed some time as well… Just to sort some stuff out… With you guys and Jay…" CJ continued.

"He's right there on the field." Carlos said, nudging his head.

"I'll go get him." Freddie quickly jumped in before running onto the field towards the people still throwing a ball around.

CJ was thus left with the other people, none of whom were speaking a word to one another. It took barely a minute for Freddie to return with a somewhat disheveled looking Jay, his skin shining with perspiration.

The second he took note of CJ, Jay notably slowed down his pace and kept looking at her intently. His eyes then quickly flashed towards Evie and Carlos, who still kept their emotions under wraps.

"You're here…" Jay eventually spoke up once he stood right in front of CJ.

"I am." CJ replied in a somewhat rebellious tone.

"Right…" Jay mumbled, clenching his jaw.

"Could you guys maybe give us a minute?" Evie suddenly asked the people present. "Just the VK's please…"

Jordan, Jane and Doug quickly looked between CJ and the others before nodding and retreating back a little further on the bleachers, out of earshot.

Evie turned back to CJ, her blue hair whipping over her shoulder. "You look well." She said, looking CJ up and down.

"Oh, ehm, thanks…" CJ stammered, feeling a blush creep up on her cheeks. "You do too… All of you…"

"The effects of Auradon." Carlos shrugged, still not showing any positive emotions towards her.

"We would like to keep Auradon this way, you understand that, right?" Jay snapped in a somewhat accusing tone.

CJ sighed deeply and felt her heart sink in her stomach. They were angry at her, of course they were. Still, CJ was not just gonna roll over. No, that wasn't her anymore. "I don't want anything to do with Solomon anymore." She said, trying to sound as convincing as possible. "I don't care about the cauldron, I don't care about the war, I don't care about destroying Auradon! All I want is to maybe make a little something of my life… I-is that too much to ask…"

All of the VK's, including Freddie, appeared a little speechless. Carlos was the first to show a bit of compassion as CJ saw his expression change. Evie bit her lip, seemingly thinking over CJ's words, while Jay stared at his feet.

"I know that there's a lot of bad blood here, b-but I have apologized a lot in the past couple of days and I can do some more if you want." CJ began, wanting to have her say before the others would interrupt her. "I'm so, so sorry… F-for everything… Everything that happened on the isle and everything that happened here… I'm sorry for ever hurting any of you and all the times I was a jerk… I'm sorry…"

There was a moment of silence after CJ finished her talk where all the VK's exchanged some looks. CJ looked on nervously, hoping that her apology was enough for them to trust her.

"I guess we need to apologize too." Jay suddenly spoke up, raising his head. "We've all done terrible things… To each other… To others… We were all forgiven…"

"Auradon forgave us." Carlos jumped in. "And we forgave Auradon… I think, I really do, that things are simply better that way…"

CJ gave a soft laugh and cast her eyes downward as a happier feeling crept up in her chest.

"Mal forgave you, didn't she?" Evie asked, keeping her arms crossed.

"That's right." CJ nodded.

"And you forgave her?" Evie added.

"I did, totally out of my own free will." CJ quickly answered.

"So, ehm, you're good? Really?" Evie questioned, squinting a little.

"It's sort of hard to believe." Carlos said.

"Yeah, no, it is! Totally!" CJ exhaled. "I can hardly believe it myself… I mean, we're not, like, buddies or whatever… But we're working on things…"

"Strange world we live in." Jay mumbled.

"Right…" Evie practically whispered.

"CJ…" Carlos began, making her look at him. "I-I see no reason why we shouldn't be able to act normal towards each other. The past is past… A-and I'm honestly happy to see you on our side."

CJ was momentarily thrown off by Carlos' kind words, but inside she basically felt like a well of happiness.

"Well said." Jay added. "I-I feel that way too. CJ, you're a part of the team now!"

"I, ehm… W-wow, thank you…" CJ smiled broadly.

"It's true that I'd much rather have you as an ally than as an enemy." Evie concluded. "If there's an opportunity for us to work together, then I'll gladly take it."

"This is… Wow… Thank you…" CJ exclaimed, barely believing that this could all be happening.

"It's good to know that people on the other side can still come to their senses." Carlos addressed. "Solomon is a tyrant and a lost cause, but others might not be as hellbent on destroying Auradon as he is."

"As if our cause wasn't difficult enough…" Jay lamented. "Now we have to keep the feelings of our enemies into account?"

"You'll never know." Freddie spoke up. "People might actually start to think differently if you offer them a chance at something different."

"I really hope you don't mean that we need to try to dissuade Solomon from his evil plans." Carlos said a little apprehensively.

"A lost cause if I've ever seen one." CJ nodded, making the others snicker.

"Does he know?" Evie asked. "Does he know that you're here?"

"I-I don't know…" CJ shrugged. "I haven't seen them since the fight. They should know that I'm gone… He might alter his plans because of that…"

"That could be dangerous…" Carlos pondered. "I mean, you joining our side is huge! We have some sort of wild card! But… What if that just pressures that lunatic into some desperate deeds?"

"He's certainly crazy enough for it, but he has a plan and I'm willing to bet that he'd hate to divulge from it." CJ stated.

"He didn't succeed in capturing Mal, that counts for something, right?" Jay offered.

"Yeah, but Solomon did make it clear that capturing Mal would simply be a luxury, an added bonus. It was never essential." CJ recounted.

"So, he burned down an orphanage for something that wasn't even essential?" Evie asked in a dark tone.

"That's how he is, you know that…" CJ mumbled.

"And it also means that we should waste as little time as possible in capturing him." Carlos hissed.

"A-Archer said he had some meeting right now about trying to capture Solomon, surely they'll come up with something, right?" CJ proposed.

"Mal and Ben are there as well. They'll tell us if they've got something concrete." Jay nodded.

"How are things between you and Archer?" Evie suddenly asked with a mischievous smile, cocking her eyebrows a little.

"I, ehm… What?" CJ blushed, trying to play innocent.

"Evie was there as well when he told us." Freddie said somewhat sheepishly.

"Great!" CJ exclaimed. "Is there anyone who doesn't know!?"

"I mean, it's kind of obvious looking back. The way he stares at you longingly…" Evie gushed.

"Oh, come on…" CJ groaned, blushing even more.

"Hey, we think it's great!" Carlos grinned, obviously enjoying the situation.

"Yeah, you can join the rest of us in dating an Auradon kid!" Jay added, putting his arms around Carlos and Evie.

"Come on, it's… Wait? All of you?" CJ inquired.

"All of us." Evie nodded. "You met Doug…" She added, waving to him as he sat on the bleachers.

"And Jane…" Carlos continued, looking back as well.

"You and Jane?" CJ questioned, looking over at the short, peppy girl.

"We were all surprised." Jay grinned, ruffling Carlos' hair.

"And… You?" CJ asked, nodding towards Jay.

"She's, ehm, coming right for us actually." Jay answered, staring at something behind CJ.

When she looked back, CJ saw an Asian-looking girl with her dark hair in a pony tail strutting in their direction. She wore a uniform in the colors of Auradon and carried a bag of what looked like swords on her back.

"There you are!" She called out, walking straight towards Jay. "I guess I should have known…"

"Hey girl…" Jay grinned, but his smile was immediately wiped off his face when the girl threw the bag of swords straight into his gut.

"I told you that I needed you for a practice session. Archer came to me and asked if I could show the new girl some moves. I need the arena prepped and ready before we can do anything of the sort." The girl scolded him.

"Lonnie…" Jay hissed, pointing at CJ.

Lonnie turned around and saw CJ, who smiled somewhat sheepishly. "Oh! You're her!" She exclaimed, blushing a little.

"Yep." CJ nodded a little uncomfortably.

"It's so good to meet you!" Lonnie smiled, astonishing CJ a bit. "I saw your trial obviously! It's so great that you decided to join our side! Archer told me that you wanted to try out Swords and Shields! Well, I'm the captain of the team and I'd be happy to show you around. I'm Lonnie by the way!" She beamed, extending a hand for CJ to shake.

"Hi." CJ greeted somewhat curtly as she shook Lonnie's hand.

"Do you have a lot of experience with swords?" Lonnie asked, still smiling brightly.

"Pff." Evie scoffed, making Lonnie look at her. "CJ was the best sword fighter on the isle, it's what she was known for."

"Really!?" Lonnie excitedly exclaimed before turning to Jay. "You told me that you were the best!"

"Technically CJ and I were mostly tied for that position." Jay shrugged, cowering a little under Lonnie's glare.

"Well, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that I have a new opponent I'd love to introduce to the sport." Lonnie smirked. "You want to come along?"

"Ehm, I guess." CJ answered after an encouraging push from Freddie.

"Jay, come on!" Lonnie ordered as she put an arm around CJ's shoulder and escorted her back to the school. "So, you're the best of the isle?"

"I don't like to brag." CJ grinned, nudging her head a little.

"Archer brought you along, right? Have you fought him yet? He's supposedly the best fighter in all of Auradon!" Lonnie added, still sounding perpetually excited.

"I, ehm… We did face off, well sort of at least… Twice…" CJ replied.

"How was it? Could you keep up?" Lonnie eagerly inquired.

"I could keep up, but he has that magic sword of his. He beat me the first time, but I'd call our second fight a stalemate." CJ recalled.

"I know, Excalibur is amazing!" Lonnie gushed. "Still, if you were actually able to keep up with him while he was using Excalibur, then you're much better than I'd thought."

"Thanks, ehm, I guess…" CJ murmured as they entered the school, followed at a distance by Jay.

"Still, I guess that they don't really do official sports on the isle. There are some rules here that you have to follow." Lonnie said, suddenly sounding more strict.

"What? Like, no scratching?" CJ grinned.

"That's one." Lonnie acknowledged. "Basically, no foul play of any kind. If you are anything like the other VK's, especially this bozo…" Lonnie said, nodding towards Jay. "Then you might need some time to adapt."

"I don't really do, ehm, 'rules' very well… Especially when fighting… I was raised to believe that you should use any means necessary to win." CJ contemplated.

"Normally I'd agree with you, especially when fighting your real enemies, but this is just a sport. You aren't in any real danger and you should try to not hurt your opponent. Well, not too much anyway." Lonnie explained.

"I can try, but no promises." CJ smirked as they entered the arena.

"Oh, I don't want you to hold back. Besides Jay and Archer, I've been lacking for real opponents, especially women, so I want you to throw everything you've got at me." Lonnie challenged.

"That can be arranged." CJ replied with a cocked eyebrow.

"Oh boy…" Jay mumbled as he threw down the bag of swords and leaned against the door opening.

"You can change back there." Lonnie said, pointing towards a set of doors to CJ's left. "There should be a uniform in your size. We can start afterwards."

CJ just nodded before heading to the changing rooms, where there were numerous lockers with the names of the team members. She saw Lonnie's, which also held the title of captain, but also Archer's and Jay's. In a closet, she found uniforms in every size available. After changing into the comfortable new clothes, she once again joined Lonnie and Jay in the arena, where they'd set up some obstacles in the meantime.

"You ready?" Lonnie inquired, looking at CJ's outfit approvingly.

"I guess." CJ shrugged. "How do we begin?"

"Grab a sword." Jay said as he threw her one.

CJ caught it and performed a few practice swings. The sword wasn't sharp, but still well-balanced and would probably serve well in a fight where the objective wasn't to kill your opponent.

"So, now we start?" CJ asked, strutting towards Lonnie, who had also picked up a sword.

"First we bow to each other." Lonnie said, performing a simple curtsy.

"Really?" CJ groaned.

"It's tradition, you'll get used to it." Jay grinned from the sidelines.

"Fine." CJ sighed before bowing herself, though a little more stiffly.

"Then we raise our swords. Assemble!" Lonnie called out, raising her sword over her head. CJ followed a little uncertainly. "Then we lower them again. Salute!" She followed up. "Then we're supposed to lower our masks, but we'll leave that for now. Finally, we can take our fighting stance. En Garde!" She concluded, standing steady and pointing her sword at CJ.

"Right…" CJ complied, standing at the ready as well. "Now we fight?"

"Now we fight." Lonnie smirked before lunging at her.

* * *

"Hey! How did- Woah!" Archer exclaimed as he entered CJ's room, only to get jumped by her the second he walked over the doorstep.

"It was amazing!" CJ squealed, hugging Archer tightly.

"Alright, alright… Could I maybe breathe again now?" Archer asked with a dumb grin.

It was hours after he had initially left for the meeting, which had dragged on and on as he and some of Auradon's other military leaders came up with a strategy now that they had CJ's information to implement. After careful deliberation, they had decided to explore the location of the villain's hideout in two days. Besides Archer, Ben, Mal and CJ herself, a group of Auradonian soldiers would also accompany them for protection.

If the villains would still be at their hideout, the plan was to capture them with the least amount of bloodshed possible. The other possibility, that the villains had already left, meant that a further search party would have to be organized to find any clues of the current location of Solomon, Uma and their allies.

Archer wasn't sure what to think. Thus far, the villains had not acted erratically or impulsively. They had managed to evade captivity for months and in that time had performed some daring and successful raids on Auradon soil. Archer tried to stay positive, but found it incredibly difficult to imagine the mindset of someone as despicable as Solomon. He didn't know how the mind of a villain worked. Even Mal and the VK's saw Solomon as someone too unpredictable to determine his next move. The fact that CJ had changed sides thus only made him happier. Her intel and knowledge of the villains' plan gave them an advantage the likes they had not yet had thus far in the fight.

"How was the meeting?" CJ asked with a broad and nearly infectious smile.

"Wow, you seem happy." Archer acknowledged, looking CJ up and down. He looked at her face, and suddenly saw something that made him frown. "What's this?" He asked, pointing at a clear bruise on CJ's jaw.

"What? Oh, that's nothing." CJ waved it off. "The result of the sparring session with Lonnie."

"Dammit, I told her to ease you into it." Archer groaned. "Didn't you wear helmets?"

"No, I for one think helmets in a sword fight are just an added handicap. Why would you actively decide to wear something that limits your vision that much!?" CJ complained.

"It's a rule of the sport. Most parents wouldn't want their child to accidentally get stabbed in they eye." Archer retorted.

"Okay, fine. But I had a lot more fun without one." CJ smirked.

"How was it? Did Lonnie take it easy on you?" Archer asked.

"No need. She told me that I was a natural." CJ beamed. "She's amazing by the way! God, her sword fighting is, just, wow! I mean, she said that you're better than her, I can hardly believe that!"

"I mean, I'm pretty good." Archer shrugged.

"Hmm, yeah…" CJ joked. "We need to have a sparring session soon. I want to see if you're actually any good without your fancy sword."

"All in due time." Archer agreed. "But for now, I want to hear a little more. It sounds like you had fun."

"I did, really!" CJ went on. "I reconciled with Freddie, and with Evie, Jay and Carlos. I met some of your friends, well, besides Lonnie. I met, ehm, Jordan, she's nice, and Jane, a little too perky for my taste… Doug, did you know that he's Evie's boyfriend!?"

"I do." Archer nodded with a grin. "You didn't act too surprised, did you?"

"Maybe a little." CJ pondered, still with a broad smile. "He just didn't seem like the type that Evie would go for."

"I already eagerly await the complaints of your manners." Archer smirked as he went further into the room and plopped down in one of CJ's chairs. "But I'm glad that you made friends, and even more so that you reconciled with everyone."

"Not everyone." CJ suddenly sneered, sitting down on the chair next to Archer.

"What?" Archer questioned.

"You know Audrey, don't you?" CJ asked with an undertone of clear annoyance.

"Ohh…" Archer groaned. "You met her, didn't you?"

"Yep, she certainly made it clear that she does not appreciate my presence here." CJ moped.

"Give her some time. She'll come around." Archer encouraged.

"She called me a thief." CJ said matter-of-factly.

"What? Why?" Archer exclaimed.

"Dunno, I think that she believes that all villain kids are thieves or something. Freddie explained that she was the king's girlfriend before Mal and that she's still not over it." CJ recounted.

"Yeah, she can hold grudges that one." Archer confirmed. "But, ehm, why then did she call you a thief?" He then asked, though a little hesitantly.

"Well, probably because she also had a crush on you and you apparently blabbered on to the whole school about how you and I are a 'thing'." CJ scoffed.

Archer blushed a little. "I didn't tell the 'entire' school… I mean, maybe word just spread through the grapevine… I don't know…"

"Still, Freddie said that you told her yourself. You told her and Mal and Evie… What about your friends? Do they know that we kissed? Beyond that, did you actually tell people that we were a 'thing'?" CJ ranted.

"Ehm…" Archer carefully thought about his next words. "I mean, I told Ben and Mal that I like you… Freddie, Evie and Lance all were all there when I said that I had kissed you…"

"Lance?" CJ questioned.

"My best friend. He's basically my half-brother. You'll meet him." Archer said.

"It's, ehm… That doesn't matter! Did you tell people that we were a 'thing'?" CJ asked.

"Ehm, well, aren't we?" Archer inquired, blushing even more. "Aren't we a 'thing'?"

"I-I don't know…" CJ mumbled, making Archer feel a little crestfallen. "I mean, I've never even had a 'thing' with anyone before… And now you… Everyone keeps telling me that I'm 'special' because you chose me… I-I don't know how to deal with that…"

"You are special…" Archer practically whispered. "To me you are special…"

"I don't feel special." CJ moped, looking up at Archer. "A-and I don't want everyone here to see me as just 'the girl that Archer likes'."

"I don't want that either. You have plenty to offer by just being yourself." Archer supported her.

"Right, I'm not even so sure about that anymore." CJ moped. "Everyone I talked to, they kept telling me what a great guy you are, and how lucky I am that you actually want something to do with me."

"I'm the lucky one." Archer persisted, placing a hand on CJ's knee. "Really, just give everyone some time. Soon they will all see that you are a great person and a great ally for us. I want to help you however I can, preferably at your side. If you want me there, that is…"

CJ sighed deeply, looking at Archer with a watery smile. "I like you, I do. B-but… But this is all new for me…"

"Hey, for me as well!" Archer pointed out.

"Yeah, but at least you're still in Auradon, not somewhere out of your comfort zone." CJ protested.

"I guess so…" Archer lamented. "So, what did you have in mind?"

"We take it slow, is that alright? I need to explore Auradon a little more, as well as my feelings… Sorry, but I don't want to be tied down…" CJ spoke a little hesitantly.

"I understand." Archer nodded. "You can call what we have whatever you want to others. But, ehm… Can I also have a say?"

"Of course." CJ quickly replied, sitting up straight in her chair.

"I want 'this' to work out…" Archer said, gesturing between him and CJ. "I like you, I really do, so please excuse me for publicly showing my affection…"

"Fine." CJ grinned. "And you should excuse me for not putting any labels on anything just yet…"

"Will we get there though?" Archer asked with the slightest hint of a smirk.

"I don't know, that'll depend on how likeable you prove to be in the long run." CJ answered.

"Oh, very. I was voted most approachable prince twice on Auradon polls." Archer fake-bragged.

"Your humor annoys me." CJ replied with a dead-pan expression.

"I'll work on it." Archer shrugged. "For now, we have some time to kill before dinner. How about that sparring session?"

"Hell yeah!" CJ eagerly exclaimed as she jumped up. "Race you there?" She added as she ran for the door.

"Oh, you freaking cheater!" Archer yelled as he started running after her.

Archer hated to admit it, but CJ was faster than him and managed to beat him quite comfortably to the S.A.S. arena, even though she barely knew her way around the school yet.

"You're getting slower." She bragged as she headed for the changing rooms where the supply of swords was also stashed.

"You're still a cheater." Archer retorted as he joined her.

"Still? Whatever do you mean?" CJ mocked.

"Well, ehm, back on the isle! Back when we fought on the roof, I released you and you stabbed me in the leg!" Archer pointed out.

CJ's smile faded, but only slightly. "Right, I am sorry for that." She began. "But let that be a lesson about not letting your guard down around villain kids."

"It was dirty. That's not how we do things here." Archer berated her.

"Jay and Lonnie already explained the finer details of the sport to me." CJ said as she took off her sweater and jeans and again dressed herself in the Auradon prep uniform she'd been given.

"What? You're already on the team?" Archer questioned as he grabbed his own uniform from his locker.

"Well, the uniform is a spare, but Lonnie does think that I'm good enough to join." CJ smiled.

"Wait, wasn't there that rule about a team consisting of a captain and eight men? Lonnie already had trouble joining because of that." Archer pondered.

"Ah, who cares about the rules anymore. You guys are in a war, surely you can put that misogynistic tradition behind you as well." CJ teased.

"Okay, first of all, I agree that the rule is somewhat outdated. Second, when did you start using words with more than two syllables?" Archer asked with a smile.

"Since I actually have books to read now. You wouldn't believe how many words you have over here that we've never even heard of on the isle!" CJ shrugged.

"Good to know." Archer nodded as he grabbed two swords out of a bin and tossed one to CJ. "Ready?"

"You should ask yourself that, now that you don't have your magical sword." CJ sneered.

"A good sword is worth nothing if a weak arm is swinging it." Archer retorted. "You won't find an easy opponent in me."

"Blah, blah. Put your money where your mouth is already." CJ challenged as she moved to the middle of the arena and took the first stance.

"You know the stances, alright." Archer acknowledged as he went to stand opposite of CJ and bowed before her.

"You Auradonians even try to act civilized in a fight, it's weird." CJ said, bowing to Archer as well.

"I guess it's our way to introduce some respect and tradition into the sport." Archer guessed.

"You better not bow to Solomon when he shows up." CJ snickered.

"Nah, I'd much rather just lunge at him." Archer replied, raising his sword. "Assemble!"

"You're quite full of yourself." CJ joked, lowering hers. "Salute!"

"Very nice." Archer commented. "But we will save this discussion for later. En Garde!"

"Bring it on, Auradon Boy!" CJ challenged.

And so they began, both CJ and Archer lunging for the other. Their swords clashed and immediately both fighters started performing increasingly complicated moves to get the edge on the other. CJ had quickly adapted to the confines of the S.A.S. arena and the limitations of the sport. She didn't even try to perform any fouls, something she had done during the previous times they had fought.

Archer was not fighting with Excalibur, but that didn't mean he was any sort of lesser opponent. CJ had her speed and agility, but Archer had precision and well-conditioned reflexes. CJ had learned to fight on the street, which had its merits, but Archer had been trained in combat by some of the biggest experts in sword-fighting in Auradon. Out of everyone he'd ever faced, Archer had to count CJ as his toughest opponent yet. Not even Jay or Lonnie had been able to keep up with him for as long as CJ managed. There was no question that Archer had the better technique, but he suspected that CJ's years on the isle had done well in teaching her how to escape some narrow situations. In any case, she was incredibly tough to pin down, was well-balanced and was also an expert in using her major advantage against Archer.

After all, despite their sparring session, Archer still really liked CJ. It could have been his imagination, but he could swear that he saw CJ wink at him from time to time, obviously trying to put him off his game. Also, whenever they locked up, she'd make a big deal about rubbing her body up against his, making Archer feel more flustered than he'd be with any other opponent.

"That almost counts as cheating." Archer grunted, as he moved towards CJ with some fast and precise strikes following yet another clinch where CJ had moved her leg up against his.

"Whatever do you mean?" CJ grinned, stepping back as she blocked Archer's strikes.

"The flirting, it's quite obvious." Archer said, hitting from his right.

"I don't know what you're talking about." CJ shrugged as she ducked, but her mischievous smile gave her away.

"I sure hope that you're not getting tired yet." Archer teased, clinching up with CJ again.

"Please, I'm just warming up." CJ replied, trying to push back against Archer's blade.

Archer moved his sword to force CJ back even more, eventually pinning her against the nearest wall. "Think you can get out?"

"Why would I want to?" CJ asked, panting slightly as she looked up at him.

Archer blushed a little. "Yeah, I guess it's not that bad…"

Now CJ blushed as well. "Is this allowed in the sport?"

"Screw the sport." Archer replied as he leaned in to kiss CJ gently on the lips.

"Very unprofessional." CJ grinned, slackening her grip a little.

"It's worth it…" Archer shrugged, also relieving the pressure on CJ's sword a little.

"Well… Get back here then…" CJ smirked, dropping her sword completely.

Archer just smiled as he too dropped his sword before moving one of his hands to the back of CJ's head to pull her into a stronger kiss.

CJ yelped a little, but quickly gave in and soon the two were basically making out against the wall of the arena, their tossed aside swords completely forgotten.

"So, who won?" Archer asked as he leaned back for a second.

"Shut up!" CJ grunted as she grabbed the collar of Archer's shirt and pulled him back against her before eagerly pressing her lips onto his again. Archer didn't complain, letting his hands roam CJ's hips and her lower back while hers either gripped his shoulders or moved through his hair.

Despite feeling a complete sense of satisfaction, Archer did lean back again after a few minutes. "CJ, ehm… What is this exactly?" He asked, gesturing between them.

"Ehm, fun, right?" CJ replied.

"I mean, yes, obviously… But, ehm, where do you stand? Like, with us?" Archer went on.

"Right now I don't want to think about that." CJ answered. "It's just you and me here, no one else…"

"So, you don't care what we do behind closed doors?" Archer inquired.

"Yeah… I mean, it's like we're back in the cave, or the woods… Back when we were still 'free'… Back when I didn't have to watch my every move and you weren't called away for meetings every half hour…" CJ moped.

"It's not every half hour…" Archer mumbled. "But I see where you're coming from. Mal had the same… It's an adjustment… True, we have some strict rules here, but I like to believe that it's worth it…"

"Again, I may need some time with that." CJ pondered.

"And I won't pressure you." Archer told her, placing a small kiss on the top of her head.

"I think our duties can wait for now." CJ smiled. "Get back here!" She added as she pulled on Archer's collar again to resume their make out session.

Archer felt truly happy in this moment, euphoric as well. Really, his plan of building up a relationship with CJ was going just about as smoothly as he could have hoped. Archer could barely wait to officially announce their relationship to the public, but for now these make out sessions didn't hurt either.

"Ehm, oh, excuse me…" A voice suddenly mumbled from behind Archer, followed by a small cough.

Archer immediately broke away from CJ and looked back to see Lancelot standing in the door opening, seemingly looking a little flustered.

"Oh, ehm, hey…" Archer muttered, a red blush immediately creeping up on his cheeks.

"Hey…" Lance replied, eyeing CJ a little suspiciously but not getting closer.

"This, ehm… CJ, this is Lance, my best friend." Archer introduced the two, trying to sound polite.

"Hi." CJ greeted with a small wave.

Lancelot didn't reply, instead opting to simply remain standing where he stood.

"So, ehm, what's up?" Archer asked, trying to sound casual.

"They're serving dinner. And, ehm, no one knew where you guys went." Lancelot explained stiffly.

"We were having a sparring session." Archer shrugged, gesturing at the forgotten swords on the ground.

"Right…" Lance mumbled. "So, are you coming?"

"Yeah, yeah… Sure…" Archer rambled, immediately kneeling down to pick up the swords. "CJ, you should shower and get changed, alright? We'll meet you in the hall."

"Sure." CJ replied, still looking a little awkwardly in Lance's direction. She smiled briefly at Archer before scurrying off past Lance through the entrance.

"What do you think you're doing?" Lance asked, stepping further into the arena.

"What? A sparring session… I told you…" Archer answered, fully aware of his blush.

"I wouldn't call what you were doing sparring." Lance sneered.

"Right, we were having a, ehm, 'moment'. There, you happy?" Archer spat.

"I really expected better from you." Lance went on, following Archer as he went to put away the swords.

"Excuse me? Better? What's that supposed to mean?" Archer retorted, a little annoyed.

"We are at war, Archer! What the hell are you thinking, sneaking away with that girl!" Lance fell out at him.

"Her name is CJ!" Archer stated, throwing the swords in the bin where they belonged a little harder than he meant to do.

"She has been in Auradon for less than a week! She has only legally been allowed in for just over a day! You're out here with her, still not knowing if she… If she, ehm…" Lance went on.

"If she what?" Archer questioned, squinting his eyes. "Come on, finish that sentence."

"We still don't know if she can be trusted." Lance concluded.

"What!?" Archer practically yelled. "Lance, you were at that trial! You know what has happened to her! W-what… Where does this come from!?"

"Archer, all that we knew about her a week ago was that she stabbed you in the leg. Trying to persuade her to join our side is one thing, letting her walk around here freely is another. B-but you… But you being around her like this…" Lance ranted.

"What does that have to do with anything!?" Archer reacted, growing sufficiently angry. "The court cleared her, I gave her my support and you even backed me on that matter."

"I agreed to give her shelter and time to adapt, but that's the thing. She needs time. Time to show us that she is a true ally. Now that process has already been compromised due to your interference." Lance spat.

"Interference!? Lance, I like CJ! I trust her! I already gave myself and her some time to explore our feelings… Who knows, maybe I can help her adjust faster." Archer offered.

"That's also a thing…" Lance began. "The process is compromised, but you are as well."

"I am compromised!?" Archer sneered, taking another step in Lance's direction. "Please explain how!"

"Your feelings cloud your judgement." Lancelot explained calmly.

"Oh, piss off, will you!?" Archer scoffed. "Lance, what trouble is it if I like CJ and want to help her become a better person!?"

"Well, what if she doesn't?" Lance suggested.

"What?" Archer asked.

"What if that girl doesn't want to change? What if she is actually planning on rejoining the villains at the earliest opportunity and she is simply using your feelings against you?" Lance went on.

"Bollocks!" Archer exclaimed.

"I need to know for sure. Archer, the risks are too great for me to ignore!" Lance pleaded.

"There are no risks! Do you truly not trust me enough when I say that CJ is genuine!?" Archer yelled.

"I trust you, of course I do… But again, you could be compromised…" Lance hesitantly added.

"C-compromised…" Archer stammered. "L-lance… Come on… You don't truly believe I could have somehow been spelled…"

"I need to know…" Lancelot said as he reached for something in his back pocket.

"Lance, no!" Archer warned as he quickly raised his own arm and conjured up Excalibur.

Before he could fully raise the sword, Lancelot had already grabbed a small bottle from his back pocket and had quickly thrown its contents at Archer.

Archer was doused by a cold liquid, drenching his head and torso. He turned away and rubbed his eyes, expecting the liquid to begin burning him or something at any point. But nothing of the sort happened. Actually, the liquid felt, tasted and looked just like water.

Archer raised up, wiping the water off his face, and looked at a clearly distressed Lancelot. "What the hell!?"

"That was water from the enchanted lake…" Lancelot softly explained. "You should be completely cured of any effects of spells or potions… D-do you feel different?"

"I do not!" Archer spat. "But really!? You've been dragging a bottle of that with you!? For how long?"

"Right after you came back and insisted you were trying to get that girl into Auradon." Lancelot explained.

"Because you do not trust her, is that it?" Archer asked, feeling the rage slowly build up inside him. "Right from the start, before you even got a chance to get to know her and even after I gave her my full support! What is wrong with you!?"

"I am looking after the kingdom! My kingdom!" Lancelot yelled.

"No! That's not it! You know, Ben and Mal had the exact same idea! True, I could have been spelled, it wouldn't have been the first time a villain kid would have tried that, but they decided to trust me! Lance, if you were truly so afraid that I was spelled, if you were honestly so distrustful of CJ that you would go to these lengths, then you would have sprayed me with water the second I returned!" Archer raged. "But you didn't! You waited, you even supported me in court! Why?"

"I told you why! T-the risks…" Lance began, before Archer interrupted him.

"You already ignored the risks before! CJ has been here for over a week! Why now!? Why act so irrationally!? S-so immorally!? So stupidly!?" Archer spat.

"To protect you!" Lancelot blurted out, silencing Archer. "This girl was our enemy not a month ago! We fought against her! Now, you say she wants to change sides and that's fine with me, but the moment she got too close to you I got worried…"

"Worried? About me?" Archer questioned.

"Yes! Worried about how you would react if that girl does turn out to be the enemy!" Lance added.

"She is not our enemy!" Archer now screamed.

"How do you know!?" Lance retorted.

"Because I know her! I know what she's been through and I know what she wants! What she wants has absolutely nothing to do with conquering Auradon or hurting other people! She is good! Now, if you would have taken the time to get to know her, you would have realized that yourself!" Archer answered.

Lancelot was seemingly silenced, uncomfortably rubbing his arm and opening his mouth without any sound coming out.

"You disappointed me…" Archer began, looking at his feet as he made Excalibur vanish into thin air. "Not only did you not trust my judgement, you could have endangered CJ's position here if you'd have talked…"

"I never doubted your judgement." Lancelot replied.

"And yet you refuse to believe my word? You need to douse me in enchanted water before you believe what I say? You can't for a moment imagine that what I feel for CJ is genuine?" Archer responded.

Lancelot looked down again. "Only when I heard you two were involved, did I interfere…"

"So, it was never even about the kingdom!?" Archer sneered.

"No, it was about you! A-and you are just as important to me as the kingdom is!" Lance spoke.

Archer felt the blush rush to his head. "If that is the truth, you would have greeted CJ as a friend and not try to make things even more difficult for her than they already are! Those are my desires!"

"Is it too late for me to apologize then?" Lancelot asked, bowing his head.

"Yes." Archer grunted, feeling more anger as he headed to the door. "But it is not me you should apologize to anyway. I will tell CJ of this, and I shall respect her choice of whether she wants to forgive you or not."

"Archer…" Lancelot pleaded.

"No more!" Archer spat, his eyes glowing a bright blue for a moment as he glared at Lancelot. "I'm done here…" He concluded as he headed out into the arena and towards the exit.

"Really? T-this is it? Y-you just want to throw away our friendship for this girl!?" Lancelot yelled after him.

Archer didn't answer as he simply kept on walking for the door. He regretted these developments severely, but as Lance's final words rang through his head, he knew that that was exactly what he wanted to do.


	4. Chapter 4: Visit

**A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

**A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

**Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 4: Visit

"Nothing! But to be honest, I can't even say that I'm surprised." Ben muttered as he and Mal walked up to the main yard of Auradon prep, past the transforming statue of Ben's father.

"He must have suspected something, and he actually had good reason to." Mal replied as she followed him.

"That's too bad. I put so much pressure on the newspapers to keep CJ's trial secret. No one was supposed to know that she had come here." Ben continued.

"Still, Solomon knew that she was gone. I mean, there really aren't that many places for her to be." Mal shrugged.

"I know…" Ben sighed. "I just, ehm, hoped that we would have gotten lucky just once. CJ's intel was a huge opportunity, but again we let him slip through our fingers."

Ben and Mal had been joined by CJ, Archer and several Auradonian soldiers and had searched the villain hideout that CJ had pointed out for them. It had however been weeks since the fight in the woods and a few days since CJ had been allowed into Auradon. While Ben kept his head up, hoping to find the villains, Mal knew in the back of her head that there was no chance that they would still be there.

Neither Solomon nor Uma was one to take risks, and Mal expected that they would have vacated their hideout immediately after realizing that CJ had disappeared. Mal's suspicions were proven correct when she and her followers had arrived at the supposed hideout, only to find it abandoned.

There was no one present, though they did find signs of people having been in the tower a short while ago, meaning that CJ didn't lie. There wasn't anything useful in the tower itself, where only some trash and scorched pieces of paper remained.

Outside of the tower, all they managed to find were some footprints that appeared to be several days old, meaning that wherever the villains went, they were long gone by now.

Ben had no other option then to task a group of soldiers with tracking the prints and hopefully discovering the current location of the villains. After all, the public was still clambering for any type of result in locating and apprehending the attackers. Right now however, what mattered most was that CJ's intel had been correct, even though it was outdated.

This fact would not only calm the public, but also Mal herself. She'd had all those nice talks with Ben, Archer and CJ herself, but it still calmed her to know that CJ was genuine about joining their side and providing some helpful information.

Besides her being helpful, Mal had heard from several sources that CJ and Archer were apparently trying to actually make something of their relationship, only fueling Mal's suspicion that CJ was indeed not planning on going anywhere besides Auradon.

"I get it…" Mal softly said, rubbing Ben's upper arm as he opened the door for her and let her in. "You're done with him… I am as well… Done with him, the war, everything…"

"The end is in sight, one way or another." Archer spoke up from behind them.

"That doesn't sound very hopeful." CJ said a little accusingly.

"Just gotta stay realistic." Archer shrugged. "There's a big fight coming… Whether we win or we lose, we'll reach the end…"

"Archer, please quit bringing everyone down with your whining." Mal pleaded.

"We'll win! We have to…" Ben muttered.

"I'm not saying that I don't have complete faith in our ability to succeed." Archer added.

"Well, stick to that then… Instead of our impending doom…" Mal mumbled.

"You got it. Ben, the other rulers will most likely want to set up another meeting to discuss our findings and the proceedings from now on." Archer said.

"I know, but there isn't much to tell, is there?" Ben replied as they walked through the hallways of Auradon prep. "We found nothing of note besides some footprints and we have no clue where the villains could be hiding out now."

"Still, better not leave them in the dark." Archer suggested. "They're pissed off enough as it is."

"Pissed off? Why?" CJ asked.

"Because they're spineless and ignorant." Mal sneered.

"What Mal is trying to say is that they are scared." Ben sighed, though he looked at Mal affectionately. "People in Auradon are not used to fear, so they look at me to keep them safe."

"And whenever something isn't up to their impossibly high standards, it's apparently not only always Ben's fault, but also his job to fix things." Mal added.

"I am king." Ben shrugged.

"But you're no miracle worker. Ben, you're only human, the public needs to know that." Mal sighed.

"We'll tell them after we win the war." Ben grinned as he put an arm around Mal's shoulders.

"Wow, it's almost as if you're saying that Auradon isn't the absolute perfect place to live." CJ smirked.

"Perfect is a big word, you may still just need some adjustment time." Archer told her.

"This isn't about adjustment anymore. I've been here for years now and some things still haven't gotten any better." Mal complained.

"You could learn a thing or two from the isle." CJ suggested. "I mean, yes there was crime and poverty and all that, but at least we were free…"

"Exactly." Mal nodded. "Auradon is so proud of its rules and laws, but really, this place sometimes feels more like a prison than the isle."

Mal saw Archer and Ben exchange a look before shrugging.

"Well, since you feel like that, we'll make sure to send the two of you back as soon as possible." Ben joked.

"Great idea, maybe then they'll show some appreciation for all that we've been trying to do for them." Archer added before CJ elbowed him in the side.

"You guys really crack me up." Mal replied with a fake laugh.

"Thanks. For real though, we first need to win the war before going about making Auradon a better place." Ben said.

"When's the next meeting gonna be? Surely the other rulers will want to have their say in how to go about things now, right?" Archer asked.

"Definitely." Ben acknowledged. "I'll have Deborah contact them right away. A report of the mission should already have been sent, but if we're to set up another meeting we'll most likely need to adjust some schedules."

"You won't be needing my help with that, right?" Archer added.

"Don't think so, no." Ben answered.

"Great." Archer exclaimed before turning to CJ. "Sparring session?"

"Yes!" CJ replied excitedly, her eyes already gleaming.

"We'll see you at dinner then." Archer hastily told Ben and Mal before grabbing CJ's hand and running off with her.

"I can still barely wrap my head around that." Mal said, watching on until Archer and CJ went around a corner.

"I actually think it's hilarious." Ben grinned. "I've never seen Archer with a girlfriend, and now he's suddenly letting out all this romantic energy."

"Gross." Mal sneered.

"I see what this is." Ben said in a playful way, again reaching around Mal with his arm. "You think that I'm not romantic enough."

"What? No! Anything but that!" Mal hastily replied.

"Come on, you loved it when I serenaded you in front of the school." Ben smirked.

"That must still be the most humiliating moment of my life." Mal groaned. "Not to mention that I had spelled you and you simultaneously broke up with Audrey."

"But you did love it…" Ben teased. "Just like you love my dance moves."

"Oh, it's all coming back…" Mal sighed. "Why did I decide to want to marry you again?"

"It has to be the dance moves. I mean, come on, what else could it be?" Ben joked.

"Maybe your face?" Mal smiled, gently clutching Ben's cheeks as she pulled him in for a kiss.

"My mother did always tell me what a handsome boy I was." Ben grinned.

"Ugh, you're such a mood killer." Mal snorted as she began leaning her head on Ben's shoulder on the way to his office.

"I'm really glad I haven't screwed up so bad that we had to call off the engagement." Ben spoke.

"Apart from that one time." Mal mumbled.

"Let's not speak of that one time." Ben hushed her.

Mal just laughed as they neared the door to Ben's office, which was slightly open.

"Were you expecting someone?" Mal asked, slightly suspicious.

"No." Ben mumbled in response. "It, ehm, it could be Lumière… Or my parents… Or the cleaning lady…"

"Let's just see." Mal concluded as she shrugged off Ben's arm and resolutely pushed the door completely open.

"Good afternoon." A voice greeted as soon as Mal stepped through the door.

Mal froze, her eyes widening and her hand clutching the doorknob as she simply stared inside. Solomon was sitting on Ben's desk, his legs lazily crossed and a framed picture of Ben's family in his hand. He looked calm and a vague smile appeared on his face the moment he saw her.

"You took one hell of a long time to get here, I was starting to get bored." Solomon added, swinging his feet onto the floor and standing up. "Cute family…" He continued, looking at the picture. "I can't wait to meet them…"

"You…" Ben gasped, stepping past Mal into his office and also extending an arm as if he wanted to protect her.

"We were never formally introduced, were we?" Solomon asked, placing the picture back on the desk. "I am Solomon, though I'm sure you know…"

Mal quickly saw how Ben grew red with anger, but his voice appeared as calm as ever when he answered. "How did you get in?"

"Oh, no one saw me if that's what you're worried about." Solomon grinned. "I am… Resourceful…"

"You won't get away with this!" Mal hissed as she followed Ben further into the room while also starting to think of any spells she could use in this situation.

"With what? A simple visit?" Solomon feigned innocence. "I just want to talk…"

"We want nothing to do with you!" Ben spat. "Besides having you rot in chains!"

"Ouch, there go my feelings." Solomon pouted. "Will you guys please relax and listen to what I have to say for a minute?"

"Your words are poison!" Mal sneered. "We want you gone!"

"Oh, me too, believe me…" Solomon mumbled, looking disapprovingly through the office. "This place, it's, ehm, too peppy…"

"There are guards everywhere…" Ben threatened. "I could call them here within a minute. You can't escape…"

"Oh, I can…" Solomon retorted, his dark eyes gleaming. "But not before I've had my talk…"

"You won't get away with this…" Mal grunted, slowly circling to one side of the room while Ben headed to the other.

"Again, I will…" Solomon nudged his head. "But not before you've heard what I've got to say…"

"What is it? Idle threats? Meaningless insults?" Ben inquired.

"Well, mainly a proposition… But you are really testing my patience." Solomon lamented.

"You broke into this school! You invaded my kingdom! You nearly had Mal killed! You deserve nothing from me!" Ben grunted, balling his fists.

"Oof, you really are beastly." Solomon smirked with a mock shudder. "But truly, I did not come here with bad intent. Now, do you want to hear my proposition, or not?"

"Don't listen to him, Ben!" Mal warned, not taking her eyes off of Solomon. "All he does is lie!"

"Dear Mal, can you not even try to see the decency in me?" Solomon asked.

"It's nonexistent!" Mal retorted.

Solomon sighed. "Well, you try to be civil…"

"You are evil!" Ben spat. "We want nothing to do with you!"

"You flatter me, but really, do you think I 'want' to be here? Of course not! This place rubs me the wrong way entirely… Again, I have a proposition!" Solomon repeated.

"You surrender! That's the only proposition we're interested in!" Mal scoffed.

"High demands… Very high demands…" Solomon murmured as he rubbed his chin. "But actually, not that far off the mark…"

This remark somewhat surprised Ben and Mal, who both gave each other a somewhat astonished look.

"Y-you want to surrender?" Ben asked, almost unwilling to sound hopeful.

"Haha, not a chance!" Solomon bellowed, obviously elated that he'd managed to have Ben ask that question. "This war is happening, and I have every bit of faith in my own abilities…"

"Then why come here!?" Mal snapped, feeling the anger in herself quickly rise. "Do you just get off on wasting everyone's time?"

"God, Auradon has done nothing for your manners, has it?" Solomon sneered, his eyes darkening a little as he looked at Mal.

"Don't you talk to her!" Ben warned, taking another step in Solomon's direction.

"Fine, fine…" Solomon lamented, raising his hands defensively. "I shall simply talk about my proposal then…"

"We could just arrest him, you know?" Mal suggested, looking briefly in Ben's direction.

"I'd be gone before you could blink." Solomon warned. "And you would not have heard anything of what I've got to say…"

"We don't want to hear it anyway!" Mal snapped.

"Not even if it could end the war with not as many casualties?" Solomon inquired.

Both Ben and Mal were silenced and again briefly looked at each other. Mal really knew better than to trust anything that Solomon said, but if he was even remotely genuine, then this was an opportunity that they could not let slip.

"What are you talking about?" Mal asked.

"Well, don't you both also have the feeling that this little fender we got ourselves into has been going on for far too long?" Solomon began, crossing his legs as he sat back down on Ben's desk. "Well, I for one am quite sick of having to spend my nights in drifty caves and the run-down tower you already picked apart…"

Both Ben and Mal started blushing as Solomon so casually revealed that he knew what they were up to, but neither got a word in as Solomon simply continued.

"Now, I love a good massacre as much as the next one, but I do have to say that I find it tempting to just skip forward to the end." Solomon went on. "So… That is why I want to see if we could come to some sort of arrangement…"

"You what?" Ben exclaimed. "Y-you come in here to propose to end the war?"

"Ehm, somewhat…" Solomon contemplated. "Not completely though… Not here…"

"What's wrong?" Mal inquired. "There's plenty of paper for you to write your official surrender."

Solomon glared at Mal for a second. "Well, for one, Uma will most likely want to have a say, and I'm sure she'd also love to see you again… Second, if you do agree, we'll both need some time… You know, to think things over…"

"So, you don't want to talk here? Then what?" Ben asked, seemingly almost running out of patience.

"Let's meet up again, why not?" Solomon grinned. "I have the perfect location in mind for us to have a perfectly civilized discussion…"

"Or to lay the perfect trap!" Mal snapped. "Why should we trust anything you say?"

"Because I'm damn tired, is that what you want to hear?" Solomon groaned. "You know Mal, I also still have feelings!"

"Barely!" Mal spat.

"Just listen!" Solomon suddenly roared, jumping up from the desk and for a moment looking truly enraged.

Ben reacted, quickly jumping to the other side of the room to stand in front of Mal in a protective gesture.

Solomon simply looked on for a second, panting a little, before leaning back and again letting a playful smile appear on his face. "I see you are indeed fond of each other… If you'd like to keep it that way, then you should listen… I propose another talk, one where we'll both have our say and try to end this conflict swiftly. I will be waiting for you on History Island in a week… Just… Just do whatever suits you… I'm giving you this chance…"

"Why should we believe you?" Ben asked again, though his voice sounded much calmer.

"What do either of us have to lose?" Solomon inquired. "I don't care about bloodshed, but I do care about time… With you it's the opposite… We might just be able to help each other out…"

"Bullshit!" Mal hissed from behind Ben. "This is just a trap or a ruse! If we actually were to go to History Island, we would either walk into an ambush or nothing at all!"

"Would I truly have come here and waited to talk to you just for a ruse?" Solomon asked in a skeptical tone.

"Yes!" Mal quickly answered.

"You go on believing that then! But I will be waiting for you on History Island in a week, and I expect you to be there as well." Solomon said with a somewhat pressuring tone.

Neither Ben nor Mal answered, with them simply continuing to stare at Solomon.

"I shall simply leave you to discuss my proposal then." Solomon shrugged as he reached in his back pocket and took out a small vile with a clear liquid.

"You expect us to simply let you teleport out of here?" Mal inquired, recognizing the vanishing potion.

"Yes." Solomon replied, raising an eyebrow. "You're gonna do, what exactly? Stop me? Join me in my teleportation?"

Ben and Mal didn't reply, both of them being rendered speechless.

"That's what I thought." Solomon smirked as she stood up from the desk again. "Oh, one more question… You do remember our dear CJ Hook, don't you?"

Mal froze and beside her Ben similarly went stiff.

"What about her?" Mal grunted, trying to sound indifferent.

"She disappeared after out little scuffle in the woods…" Solomon began. "We haven't heard from her since… We are all so 'terribly' worried…"

"You don't sound worried." Ben acknowledged.

"That's because I do have my own theory of her whereabouts…" Solomon hissed. "It does seem like a mighty coincidence that you lot discover our hideout just days after she disappeared when you had been unable to do so for months previous to that."

Mal blushed, and so did Ben.

"A strange coincidence indeed…" Ben mumbled.

Solomon squinted. "She's still a villain, you know that right? If you would happen to come across her, please tell her that Harry is dreadfully worried and that we look forward to seeing her again…"

"Noted." Ben said stiffly.

Solomon grinned one more time, gave Mal a little wave and then threw down his potion and immediately disappeared in a cloud of white smoke.

Ben and Mal stayed silent for a few seconds, both of them audibly breathing out as they simply stared at the place where Solomon has just disappeared.

"He knows… He knows about CJ…" Mal said once she regained control of her voice.

"We could have expected that…" Ben mumbled, taking a few shaky steps forward. "B-but the other things he said…"

"No! Ben! No!" Mal immediately intervened. "He's just trying to provoke us! He doesn't care about ending the war, he cares about starting one! This is just a trap, mark my words!"

"I know it's a trap, I don't trust that snake for one bit!" Ben retorted. "But still, if he will actually be on History Island in a week, we could maybe use that to our advantage…"

Mal raised her eyebrows. "You want to turn his trap into a trap?"

"If it's possible, then yes." Ben replied. "But we need to discuss this with the others. I need their input."

"Let's go find them. I'd say that every second counts." Mal stated before turning to the door.

Ben stopped her however, grabbing her by the arm. "Are you sure that you're up for this? You know, after the previous fight and all…"

Mal sighed. Ben sounded worried. "I can handle it, trust me…" She calmly replied. "But I really want to see that asshole behind bars!"

* * *

"He knew!? He knew about CJ and that we went to the tower!?" Archer questioned, sounding shocked.

Ben had called an emergency meeting to discuss Solomon's sudden appearance and subsequent proposal. His office was currently packed with people. Belle, Adam, Lumière, Archer, CJ, Evie, Carlos, Jay and Fairy Godmother were all present.

"He definitely knew about the tower, but he was technically still guessing about CJ." Ben answered, looking over at the young pirate who cowered a little under his gaze.

"How did he even get in?" Adam asked, momentarily halting his relentless pacing around the room.

"Vanishing potions." Mal answered. "They've been using them to get around Auradon faster."

"And he can use those to just appear wherever he wants!?" Adam went on, clearly terrified of the idea.

"No." Mal resolutely tried to calm him. "To use those, he'd already need to have knowledge of the location. If you use a vanishing potion without picturing the precise place you'd want to transport to, it will simply cast you out."

"Then how did he get here?" Adam added. "To your office of all places!?"

"He has been to the school before." Carlos stated, making everyone look at him. "I mean, he was the one who blew out all the glass, right?"

"That's right." CJ confirmed. "He used vanishing potions that day as well, to travel there and back again."

"I'm guessing Zevon keeps your supply well stocked?" Mal asked CJ.

"The only thing he was ever good for." CJ sneered. "The only reason any of us still tolerated that slimy worm was because he could make us potions."

"Still, he managed to slip through our defenses… This is not good…" Adam pondered, stroking his chin as he started pacing again.

"Is there some sort of way we could shield ourselves from those potions?" Belle opted. "A magical barrier perhaps?"

Mal did not have a concrete answer, so she looked over at Fairy Godmother, who sat up uncomfortably in her chair.

"Ehm, magic is a delicate matter…" Fairy Godmother began. "In a case like this a barrier would do no good I'm afraid."

"Why not?" Archer asked. "If the villains truly have such a capability, then they will be able to do much more than just intimidate us once the fighting starts."

"I believe Fairy Godmother is just saying that a barrier won't help." Mal spoke up. "I think I actually read up on this… A magical barrier, like the one on the isle, only works because you and the wand are outside of it, right?"

"Correct." Fairy Godmother nodded.

"Which means that placing a barrier here would not even be possible." Mal concluded.

"Can't you make it so that the barrier would only block those potions or something?" Adam offered.

"The, ehm, the rules of magic are delicate." Fairy Godmother explained. "Magical barriers are a highly advanced form of magic and the rules surrounding them are not easily twisted or broken."

"Then how about we do it the other way?" Archer proposed.

"What do you mean?" Ben asked.

"Place a barrier around the villains? We could just lock them up again, right?" Archer went on.

"C-could that work?" Adam questioned.

"Well…" Fairy Godmother mumbled. "In theory, maybe… But we have no idea where the villains are currently hiding out, do we? If I were to actually place a barrier around them, I'd need to know where they are."

"We know of their general vicinity." Archer offered. "We tracked their footprints to somewhere around the coast. They should be held up around there."

"That's still an extremely large area to cover with a protective spell." Fairy Godmother shook her head. "I'm afraid that that won't work."

"Wait!" Jay suddenly said. "You're saying that we don't know where the villains are right now, right?"

"Right." Ben nodded.

"But we do know where they're gonna be in a week…" Jay added.

The entire room was silenced as they processed Jay's words.

"You suggest that we use the meeting Solomon set up himself to capture him?" Evie asked.

"I mean, why not?" Jay replied. "If we go there, and he's actually there, we can't really afford to let such an opportunity slip, right?"

"He's got a point." Archer nodded. "I mean, there are three options. One, he won't be there at all. Two, he's gonna be there and he actually wants to talk. Three, he's there and has set up a trap for us."

"Even if he genuinely wants to talk, there's still no reason we should expect the outcome to be peaceful." Ben contemplated.

"Meaning that it would be wise in any case to set up a sort of trap of our own." Adam concluded.

"A trap? Dear, that doesn't sound very civilized…" Belle mumbled.

"Sometimes the end justifies the means." Adam sighed. "These villains have been playing dirty since the start and causing pain to the Auradon public. Perhaps we should think ahead…"

"CJ." Archer suddenly spoke up, making everyone look at him. "CJ, you've been quiet. Don't you have anything to add?"

CJ looked around with wide eyes, obviously not comfortable with everyone looking at her. "I-I, ehm… I'm not sure…" She stammered. "I mean, I think that listening to anything that Solomon says is absolutely mental in any case…"

"Precisely." Mal nodded.

"And, ehm, I really think we should let this slide. Solomon is just trying to bring us off our game." CJ continued.

"Yes, but what if we use his plans against him?" Archer offered. "I mean, he thinks that he's setting a trap for us, when we'll be setting a trap for him at the same time."

"Don't forget, we're in Auradon. We have the home advantage." Adam added.

"Exactly. We have the numerical advantage, we have magic on our side… We can win this." Ben said in a hopeful tone.

"Ben…" Mal began. "I'm not sure I it would be wise to confront Solomon like this… I mean, yes, we might have these advantages, but it might not matter… You say you have the home advantage, but it was Solomon who chose the location. He must have done so for a reason, right?"

"The lady has a point, your majesty." Lumière suddenly interjected. "History Island is completely separated from the main land. The bridge is the only way in or out."

"That could still play to our advantage, right?" Jay opted. "If they're on the island, then they'd have no way out…"

"Except with the vanishing potions." Carlos shrugged.

"Not if we do actually set up that barrier once they're already there." Ben explained. "We'd literally trap them there, no magic to aid them, and we'd be able to pick them off easily."

"How can we be sure that would work?" CJ asked, making everyone look at her again. "I mean, Solomon was able to escape the barrier around the isle. Who's to say he won't just do it again?"

"Can we make sure he can't?" Ben inquired, looking over at Fairy Godmother.

"Again, I cannot be certain." She sighed. "There are many rules within magic that are yet unwritten. The Horned King was an expert in the dark arts, of which most forms have died out a long time ago. I apologize, Ben, but my contemporary magic has not adapted to it and could even risk getting contaminated if it comes into contact with whatever that Solomon musters up."

"You're certain that the villains make use of dark magic?" Adam questioned.

"I see no other option." Fairy Godmother nodded. "The barrier around the isle of the lost was meant to cancel out any and all magical activity within its borders and also keep everyone inside. Only through dark magic could this Solomon have been able to bypass those rules."

"What would happen if we were to trap them and he'd be able to break free?" Ben asked.

"Oh, of that I am also uncertain." Fairy Godmother replied, though her voice trembled slightly. "Though in theory it could result in permanent magical damage."

"Permanent magical damage?" Mal exclaimed in a horrified tone.

"Only in theory." Fairy Godmother tried to reassure Mal. "The effects could just as well be harmless."

"I feel like we need to try." Archer stated. "We will never know for sure. If there's even a slight chance of us ending this war before it even begins, I feel like we have to take it."

"Even if the possible repercussions could be permanent magical damage?" Belle contemplated, scrunching up her eyebrows. "I don't know… Dear?" She then directed herself to Adam.

Adam stroked his chin for a short while, seemingly in deep thought. "Well, it's not our decision anymore in any case… Personally I would say that I'm for going on the offensive, but again, I am also not the one risking injury…"

"I am a servant of the kingdom." Fairy Godmother said, her head held high. "I want to see these malicious individuals removed just as much as any of you. If I can help, then I will."

"Even if it meant that you could get injured?" Ben hesitantly asked.

"There are always risks involved with magic. One time I accidentally turned my dishrag into a raccoon." Fairy Godmother talked on.

"This is a little more serious though, and more dangerous…" Adam sighed.

"I understand, and yet I choose to volunteer." Fairy Godmother resolutely stated.

"Then it is up to you, Ben…" Adam told his son with a seemingly heavy heart.

Ben crossed his arms and looked down in deep thought. Mal wanted to talk to him, to share her own opinion, but thought it better to let Ben try to reach a conclusion on his own.

"We just can't be certain about what we'll be walking into…" Ben eventually mumbled. "The risks… There are so many risks… But… I agree that this is an extremely rare opportunity… They'll be out in the open for the very first time… We can prepare, lay our own trap… I say we go on the offensive, let them know that we're not interested in any compromises aside from their surrender."

"Well said." Archer solemnly nodded, though Mal noticed that CJ appeared less than happy with this news.

"If we truly expect a fight in less than a week, then we'll need to prepare. I'll send word out to the other rulers and set up a meeting for war council as soon as possible. We'll also need to know what to do with the villains once we have them in captivity." Adam began.

"Should we really think that far ahead?" Belle questioned.

"Better safe than sorry." Adam replied.

"All in due time." Ben stated. "There are still some things to discuss… Could you all, ehm, give us a second?"

All eyes went to Mal, who felt a slight blush creep up on her cheeks.

"Sure, we'll leave you to it." Belle answered for everyone present.

Adam, Belle, Lumière and Fairy Godmother all respectively bowed their heads before moving towards the door. Evie, Carlos, Jay and Archer just nodded and kindly smiled to Mal before leaving as well. CJ only looked between Ben and Mal before hastily following Archer.

Ben sighed before moving behind his desk and sitting down in his comfortable chair. "Well?"

"Well what?" Mal inquired as she sat down on Ben's desk, incidentally the same place where Solomon sat only a few hours ago.

"Don't play dumb with me, Mal. I know you disagree with my plan." Ben told her.

"What gave it away?" Mal replied, not denying the accusation.

"You always bite your cheek a little when you want to say something but choose not to." Ben said with a small smile.

Mal grinned. Ben did sometimes know her better than she knew herself. "You got me there."

"Come on, please tell me…" Ben sighed, gently putting his hand on hers.

"I don't think we should do it." Mal blurted out, causing Ben to frown. "I'm not sure how, but Solomon has to have all of this planned out. I say we just let this slide…"

"But Mal, we have absolutely no idea where he and his accomplices are. If they do actually show up on History Island, then why should we not take advantage of it?" Ben offered.

"Well, what if he wants us to go there?" Mal countered.

"To do what? History Island is Auradon property and completely in our hands. I can send word tonight to up the guards and make sure he won't be able to set a trap." Ben tried to calm her.

Mal bit her lip. She heard the reason in Ben's voice. It was true that, if Solomon were to show up, this was an unrivaled opportunity to catch him. No one seemed that apprehensive or afraid, even though Solomon himself had suggested the location. It was true that the location in question was a large, open space completely in control of the Auradon officials. So, if Solomon were to show up, he would be in dire trouble. On the opposite end, if he would not show up, then no one had anything to fear…

"I still have this feeling…" Mal mumbled.

"A hunch?" Ben questioned.

"You can call it that…" Mal nodded. "It could also just be fear…"

"Fear of what?" Ben asked in a compassionate tone.

"You getting hurt mostly, and me not being able to do anything about it." Mal moped.

"Why wouldn't you be able to do anything about it? You'll be right beside me." Ben grinned.

"You want me to come!?" Mal asked, genuinely surprised.

"Of course." Ben smirked. "You saw what happened the last few times we went out on our own… We belong together, so let's keep it that way."

"For once you're making sense." Mal smiled, letting herself slide off the desk to sit on Ben's lap.

"I want you by my side, now and forever." Ben whispered, putting his arms around her and placing his head on her shoulder.

"You're not scared for my safety anymore?" Mal asked.

"I fear more for the poor people who stand in your way." Ben grinned.

"I would feel bad, but I also really feel like they have this coming." Mal replied a little more sinisterly as she placed her head on Ben's.

"I won't stop you." Ben encouraged her. "I'll be at your side."

"Just as it should be." Mal sighed, looking down at the diamond ring still present on her finger.


	5. Chapter 5: Deception

**Sorry for the long break, but fear not! I fully intend to finish the story so keep your eyes peeled.**

**A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

**A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

**Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 5: Deception

"You're gonna say it, aren't you?" Ben asked as he stared out over the seas surrounding History Island.

"What?" Archer replied, looking intently at Ben.

"That this is wrong? That you have a bad feeling about this?" Ben inquired, keeping his eyes on the horizon where the sun was nearly sinking into the ocean.

"I mean, ehm… I wasn't gonna say it… But yeah, that's pretty much what I was thinking…" Archer murmured, rubbing his hands.

"We need to do this… If not now, then when?" Ben retorted.

"Not a clue…" Archer pondered. "It still doesn't feel right though, to have the villains present themselves on a platter like this to us…"

"We took every possible measure to keep them here. There are soldiers posted all around the island and on the sea, we kept Fairy Godmother's arrival as discrete as possible and we even have a backup squad ready on the mainland." Ben listed.

"I know that, and I truly hope that it'll be enough." Archer nodded.

"The alternative for us is to keep fighting, something we can do as well." Ben shrugged.

"Yeah, but at what cost?" Archer sighed. "The people are already scared… Opinion on the villain kids is as low as it has ever been… We need for something good to happen…"

"So, let's make it happen today! Our best chance of success is if everyone's behind us." Ben said.

"They are…" Archer replied, looking back at the group of people gathered at the main square of History Island.

For the occasion, Ben and Archer had been joined by Mal, Evie, Carlos, Jay, CJ, Freddie, Lonnie, Jordan, Chad, Aden, Royce and Alex. All of them were dressed for an eventual fight and carried swords or other weaponry. They went to this meeting with high hopes, but it would have been stupid of them to not prepare for any worse outcomes.

"Not everyone though…" Ben mumbled, looking at Archer from the corner of his eye.

Archer kept quiet, though Ben did notice that he clenched his jaw somewhat.

"What happened with Lance? The guys say that you've been fighting, and he quite resolutely told me that he didn't want to join us today." Ben added.

"It's, ehm, personal…" Archer practically whispered, uncomfortably rubbing his hands.

"Still feels like something I should know…" Ben opted. "I mean, he's basically our most valued magic user. If there's anything I could do…"

"No." Archer answered quite brusquely. "This is between me and him and we both just need some time to sort things out."

Ben nodded slightly as he also bit his lip. He and Archer then just looked on towards the others, where Evie and Freddie were seemingly trying to teach Jordan some sword fighting moves. CJ stood a little off to the side, not far from Mal. Both of them had serious frowns on their faces and their eyes switched from the other people gathered before them to the entrance of the bridge connecting History Island to the rest of Auradon.

"Does it have anything to do with CJ?" Ben suddenly asked, causing Archer to jerk up his head.

"No comment…" Archer grunted.

"What did he say?" Ben went on, crossing his arms.

"None of your business." Archer replied.

"Well, I am king… I could just order you to tell me…" Ben shrugged.

"That'd be real low." Archer retorted, though he did crack a small smile.

They stayed in silence for a few minutes after that, still mostly looking in the direction of their friends.

"How are things between you two?" Ben suddenly asked.

"What?" Archer replied, blushing.

"You and CJ? You know? Your first real girlfriend?" Ben added, nudging his head a little.

"She doesn't want to put any labels on it yet…" Archer sighed.

"Ouch." Ben grinned.

"No, not because of me or anything… She just, ehm, wants to take it slow first… You know, because she only just arrived… And, ehm, she has also never dated on the isle…" Archer rambled.

"But you do want to try, right?" Ben asked.

"Of course." Archer answered, looking in CJ's direction. "I really like her."

"Well, that's clear for pretty much everyone to see." Ben shrugged.

"Pff, like you and Mal don't constantly stink up the place with your romance and cuddling and all…" Archer complained.

"Well, we are getting married…" Ben replied.

"Just keep throwing that in my face, why won't you…" Archer sneered.

"But you trust her, right?" Ben went on.

"Who? Mal?" Archer questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"No, CJ." Ben corrected.

"What? Of course." Archer said, squinting a little. "How come?"

"Something Solomon said…" Ben pondered.

"He lied." Archer hastily interjected. "He knows that CJ's with us and is just trying to bring us off our game by inciting some trust issues."

"That's what I thought as well." Ben nodded. "But I have the feeling that Mal began feeling some small doubts…"

"That's only logical, seeing as how difficult it was to convince her that CJ was good." Archer replied.

"You're not bothered by it, right?" Ben hesitantly asked.

"Nah, I'm not gonna let any feeble scuffle throw me off." Archer shrugged.

"Good, I'm really not up for any of that kind of drama." Ben snickered as he turned away from the setting sun and began walking back to their friends.

"What drama are we talking about now?" Mal spoke up when Ben and Archer were in range.

"It's nothing." Ben simply answered as he went to stand next to her and softly stroked her shoulder.

"Not anything we should focus on at least." Archer added as he crossed his arms and took a quick glance at CJ.

"Are you all okay?" Ben asked, looking at the two girls but also examining CJ's pale face a little more.

"The nerves aren't anything new." Mal mumbled. "There are just so many things that could go wrong…"

"We took every possible precaution." Ben tried to reassure her. "This isn't like your rescue mission on the isle or the fight in the woods, we're better prepared now."

"Still…" Mal moped.

"You don't have to be here." Ben told Mal. "The same goes for you." He then said to CJ.

"No, I'm not leaving!" Mal immediately reacted. "Everyone is here. I'm not just gonna abandon you all!"

"That's all up to you." Ben nodded, but his eyes were still on CJ.

"CJ, how are you feeling?" Archer asked, seemingly a little hesitantly.

"Like I'm gonna puke." CJ snorted.

Archer chuckled a little, but his eyes were still filled with pity. "You're safe. Just remember that."

"Easy for you to say." CJ sneered. "I bet that they hate me more than any of you at the moment."

"And yet they won't even be able to touch you." Archer reassured her.

"Definitely." Ben added. "CJ, you're with us now. We fight for our own."

CJ blushed a little at Ben's words, but only nodded slowly in response.

"Did that Solomon say a time when he'd arrive actually?" Archer suddenly inquired.

"No." Mal answered curtly. "I bet he just wants us to wait endlessly for him."

"He said a week. That week ends today." Ben jumped in.

"He might not show up." Archer said, eyeing CJ to see if she'd be happier with that outcome. "Really, neither of us stand to lose anything if we simply skip this meeting."

"What if we'll genuinely be able to negotiate some terms?" Ben asked.

"Not possible." CJ spoke up, causing everyone to look at her.

"What do you mean?" Ben inquired.

"I mean that Solomon will not negotiate. With him, he either gets what he wants, or he takes what he wants. There's no middle ground." CJ went on.

"Are you saying that we should just give up then?" Mal asked indignantly.

"No, I'm saying that we should end the bastard before he ends us." CJ retorted. "I have no intention of dealing with him for any longer than absolutely necessary."

"I think we all agree on that front." Archer nodded.

"We need to keep some form of hope as well." Ben joined in. "I have faith in a peaceful resolution."

"You'll get used to his energy eventually." Mal told CJ when she saw her disbelieving stare.

"You mean he's serious?" CJ questioned.

"I know. Sad, right?" Mal smirked.

"There's nothing wrong with optimism." Ben sighed. "I thought I'd finally managed to convince you of that?"

"In certain cases, maybe…" Mal shrugged. "At least this time you prepared for a negative outcome. God knows you've been more ignorant in the past."

"God knows indeed…" Archer added.

"Shouldn't we try to be nice to each other in times like these?" Ben complained.

"I'm not saying I don't love these tender qualities of yours." Archer told Ben in a joking tone.

"No complaints here either." Mal smiled, elbowing Ben softly in the side.

CJ rolled her eyes but didn't comment when Ben placed a soft kiss on Mal's head in return.

"Why are you all so relaxed?" CJ asked, crossing her arms more firmly.

"It's a coping mechanism." Archer answered. "But really, we are all as terrified as you are."

"I doubt that." CJ mumbled.

"We are, really." Ben jumped in. "But I realized a long time ago that you can't let fear rule your life. Worrying too much will get us nothing, so we keep it light."

"Even you?" CJ questioned, looking at Mal with a raised eyebrow.

"I know, hard to believe…" Mal smirked. "But I have to admit that they do help me relax."

"Well, I'm growing impatient." CJ pouted.

"So are we." Lonnie said as she approached the group.

"Ben, is this still gonna happen?" Jay joined in as more people approached him.

"I'm not really the deciding factor in that." Ben shrugged.

"Still, are we supposed to just stay here and walk about for the entire night?" Carlos asked.

"No, I'm not gonna waste our time here for any longer than necessary." Ben answered.

"That maniac has had all day to get here, why should we give him anymore time?" Aden questioned.

"Ben, I agree." Evie added. "Solomon has his reasons for everything and we could be playing right into him."

Ben crossed his arms and didn't respond right away. He had been plagued with doubts about even coming here from the very start, and now that Solomon hadn't shown up yet the doubts about staying here were only growing. Naturally, he didn't want to waste his or anyone of his friends' time so he also didn't want to stay here for any crazy amount of time.

Still, there were some substantial benefits if Solomon were to actually show up. Either they would get an opportunity to maybe negotiate some peaceful resolution or they would get an opportunity to capture their enemy.

"We wait for now, but this is his last and only shot. After this, no more chances, no more mercy." Ben announced.

Everyone, including Mal, seemed somewhat distraught by that last comment, but no one spoke up.

It was at that moment that there was a sudden flash at Ben's left, making everyone immediately turn their heads.

Out of actually thin air, Harry Hook appeared, blinking a little as he took in his surroundings and grinning widely when he saw the shocked faces of Ben, Mal and the others. His face still clearly showed the signs of the beating Ben had given him, with lashes and scars still visible on his cheeks. Other than that, his blue eyes still twinkles in an amused way.

"Greetings." He spoke, straightening up and dusting his coat as he took one step in their direction.

"Not another step!" Jay immediately hissed as he took out his sword and approached Harry.

"Hold your horses, I'm just a messenger." Harry replied, raising his hands defensively.

"Where is Solomon!?" Ben asked, stepping forward alongside Jay.

"At a safe distance." Harry answered casually. "If you'll allow me, I shall summon him and my allies."

Ben looked back at Mal and the others, who all nodded as they slowly spread out to form a better perimeter.

"Do it." Ben told Harry with a small nod.

Harry grinned as he reached into his jacket and grabbed a small vial. Without a word of explanation, he popped of the cork and immediately a green light shot up into the air and exploded in a spark that would have been visible from miles away.

"Now we wait." Harry said in a relaxed tone as he crossed his arms.

"How long?" Ben asked, feeling his heart beginning to pound faster.

"However long it takes." Harry shrugged, still grinning.

Ben tried to calm himself, but the intense hatred he felt for the person standing in front of him was still clearly present. Next to him, Mal appeared to be calm but Ben saw the fierce intensity in her eyes, indicating that she as well harbored some negative feelings towards their adversary.

Harry seemed calm, but Ben could only imagine how he could possibly feel about him or Mal. He had thus far not said anything about CJ, which could only indicate that he hadn't seen her yet. Looking back almost unnoticeably, Ben saw that both Archer and Alex kept her from view.

Ben stared at Archer questioningly, but he only shook his head slightly in response. Ben could easily believe that CJ was not particularly excited to see her brother, who did not only fight on the opposing side, but whose side she had also practically betrayed by joining Auradon.

"Is he planning on making a grand entrance or something?" Mal suddenly asked, causing Ben to wake from his thoughts.

"Dunno… Probably…" Harry mumbled, inspecting the large building and cobbled paths of History Island more closely.

"I still can't believe you and Uma ever even considered joining up with him." Mal went on, the disgust dripping off her voice.

"Ah, you know… Sometimes the end justifies the means, or whatever…" Harry practically whispered.

"You know he doesn't care about you or your plans." Freddie suddenly joined in. "He would throw you under the bus at any time if it suited him."

"Hey, the feeling's mutual." Harry shrugged. "It's not like we're planning on staying pals after we win the war."

"He'll kill you too, and Uma." Mal continued, her tone not changing.

"Do you think we'll let him!?" Harry snapped. "And wow, I would not have expected you of all people to care for our wellbeing, princess."

Mal glared at Harry, breathing audibly through her nose as she balled her fists. "You idiot!" She hissed.

"Traitor." Harry retorted.

Just when both Jay and Freddie wanted to reprimand Harry, another bright flash emerged behind Harry, this one much bigger than the previous. The light soon disappeared, and only a thin mist remained present, momentarily clouding the people that had just appeared.

"Long time no see." Solomon greeted as he stepped out of the cloud of mist.

Ben felt an immediate switch in tension as all of his associates directed their attention towards Solomon. Beside him, Royce reached for an arrow on his back but didn't grab one yet, Evie, Jay and Carlos had all notably stiffened, Lonnie looked at Solomon with more negativity than Ben had ever seen and Mal's eyes had briefly lit up in a bright green.

"Good to see you've come to your senses." Solomon continued, examining the place they were standing. "I knew you couldn't be all that dumb."

"So you're saying that meeting up with you is a smart idea?" Ben questioned.

"Of course, I proposed it." Solomon grinned.

"You're short a few people." Ben noted as he examined the group behind Solomon.

Aside from Harry, Ben only recognized Uma and Gil, the son of Gaston. Aside from those two, Ben saw a tall, skinny guy with dark hair, a girl with blueish green hair, a short-haired guy with a shotgun on his back and a tall guy with a smug expression. They were definitely with less than when they had fought in the woods the last time.

"What happened?" Jay joined in with Ben's teasing. "A mutiny? Did some of your people finally see you for what you really are?"

"I don't believe that's any of your business." Solomon grunted, his eyes flashing in annoyance.

"But we are so interested." Aden joked, twirling one of his knives between his fingers.

Solomon breathed in for a second as he stared daggers at Aden. "Well… I don't seem to be the only one missing people. Where's your wizard friend?"

"Who?" Ben genuinely asked.

"The skinny guy who packed a slightly better than average punch." Solomon added.

"He's not here." Ben answered curtly.

"And what about your new recruit?" Solomon continued.

"What?" Both Ben and Mal exclaimed.

"Where's CJ?" Solomon asked straight to the point.

Before Ben and Mal had a chance to do anything more than simply stare at each other in shock, Harry already spoke up.

"She's not with them!" He hissed, glaring at Solomon.

"Harry!" Uma snapped.

"No! He's been shitting on her for far too long! CJ is not a rat! She would never join up with them!" Harry ranted.

"Harry!" A voice from behind Ben yelled. Before he could turn around, CJ already brushed past him so she could stand in full view of her former accomplices.

"CJ!?" Harry exclaimed in pure shock while the rest of the villains simply scowled at her.

"Harry, enough of this!" CJ resolutely said.

"What are you doing here, with them!?" Harry asked, taking a few large steps in his sister's direction.

"I-" CJ began, before Harry already interrupted her.

"Are they holding you hostage or something? Are they holding you against your will?" He stammered, his eyes getting big with worry.

"Harry! I am with them now!" CJ stated, her nostrils flared.

Harry looked absolutely dumb-founded, staring in between CJ and the people behind her. "Y-you can't be serious…" He stuttered.

"I am serious!" CJ grunted. "Harry, I want nothing to do with you and them! I am here to stop you from hurting anyone."

"You are talking nonsense!" Harry roared, growing red with anger. "Don't say this! Don't be like this!"

"Harry, I'm finally happy!" CJ said in a pleading tone. "Don't you want me to be happy!?"

"Not with them!" Harry sneered. "You come back here, right now!"

"I don't have to do what you tell me to do!" CJ practically screamed. "I don't want to be a villain anymore!"

"Don't be stupid!" Harry raged, his eyes bulging as he took another step towards CJ.

"Don't call me stupid!" CJ snapped.

Ben wanted to intervene, and so did Solomon judging from his annoyed expression. Archer, meanwhile, kept close to CJ, his eyes suspiciously lingering on Harry.

"I'm warning you for the last time, CJ! Don't-" Harry began.

"No!" CJ interrupted him. "Harry, I'm warning you! I am with Auradon now and we will win this war!" CJ practically threatened.

"You would go against me!?" Harry puffed, looking like he was about to explode.

"Only if you force me to." CJ replied in a more compassionate tone. "Harry, it's not too late…"

"You're delusional." Uma suddenly spoke up, appearing behind Harry. "Don't listen to her Harry, she's a traitor."

"No, don't listen to her!" CJ pleaded. "There's more to life than being a villain."

Harry looked between CJ and Uma, momentarily looking confused. Still, he eventually turned to CJ again, staring daggers at her. "Y-you… You… I did everything for you… I tried to help you…"

"You only ever helped yourself." CJ spat, immediately turning sour.

"You ungrateful brat!" Harry yelled, storming at CJ.

Archer reacted, jumping in front of CJ to protect her. For a few seconds he faced off against Harry, who appeared as though he contemplated about whether or not to attack him. Archer didn't give an inch, his steely blue eyes looking for any signs of danger.

"Uma, call off your dog." Solomon suddenly ordered, seeming almost amused as he examined the scuffle.

"Harry!" Uma hissed, gesturing for her first mate to return to her.

Harry looked over at CJ one more time, both agitated and a little hopeful. CJ only stared back rebelliously, no compassion present on her face. With a final scoff, Harry turned around and stomped back to his allies, who all glared somewhat uneasily between the groups.

"Family drama, there's nothing quite like it…" Solomon smirked.

"Enough of this." Ben said with authority. "I did not come here to waste time, so we need to negotiate."

"How fun…" Uma sneered. "More talking…"

"Talking is what we're meant to do! Talking is what will help us reach peace!" Ben barked.

Solomon spat on the ground, grinning evilly. "There's your peace. I don't care about what you have to say! I care only about your surrender!"

Ben carefully breathed in. "What are you trying to achieve? Why are you here?"

"When you have the means, you do not always need a reason…" Solomon grinned.

"Freaking psychopath!" Mal snapped.

"And you are a pansy, spineless weakling." Solomon retorted.

Ben felt himself grow red in anger. His hands started shaking at hearing Solomon's words. "Are you simply here to insult me, insult us?"

"Maybe, if you are stupid enough to refrain from giving me what I want." Solomon sneered.

"Do you actually know what the word negotiation means?" Archer suddenly spoke up as he left CJ's side and joined Ben's.

"I do. I also know what an ultimatum is." Solomon replied. "So, either you give me what I want, or I shall take it… Violently…"

"Your threats don't scare us! You bark away and the bite always disappoints." Mal scoffed before Ben could speak up. "You seriously can't be so empty-headed as to expect us to simply roll over."

"You would do so, if you know what's best for you!" Solomon grunted, his face scrunching up in anger at Mal's insults.

"What's best for us and Auradon is you leaving!" Ben retorted.

"Preferably with your tail between your legs." Jay added.

"And what about my aspirations then?" Solomon asked with mock concern. "You truly do have a lot in this wretched place… A lot that I want…"

"And what could we give you so that you'd make a hasty retreat?" Ben questioned.

"Everything…" Solomon answered. "Everything…"

"A tough offer…" Archer mumbled, audibly breathing out.

"An impossible offer." Ben added. "With little room for bargaining it seems."

"Merely a strong position on my part I believe." Solomon said, most amusement having disappeared from his face.

"He's thick as pig shit." Jay spat. "We should not listen to him anymore."

"No, please… I enjoy this…" Solomon spoke in a bored tone.

"Last chance!" Ben barked, almost startling himself. "I will either have your surrender or an agreement for a peaceful solution!"

"You will have my blade through your heart and a hole in the ground." Solomon retorted, leaving any signs of previously feigned tranquility.

This was the sign where everyone on Auradon's side had been waiting for. Everyone pulled out their swords or other weapons. Royce knocked an arrow onto his bow and aimed it straight at Solomon while Archer unsheathed Excalibur and took a fighting stance.

"Oh, I appeared to have hit a soft spot." Solomon grinned as he retreated back a few steps. Beside him, his allies pulled out their own weapons.

"You wasted your last chance!" Ben yelled as he and his friends slowly advanced. "Now come peacefully or there will be violence."

"Now… Seeing as I appear to be outnumbered… I don't very much feel like sticking around for much longer…" Solomon announced as he and his allies retreated even further, keeping a tight perimeter.

"Let's go." Uma snapped, keeping her eyes on Mal.

"Very well." Solomon replied before grabbing a small vial out of his pocket, after which the other villains did the same.

"I wouldn't try that." Archer warned as he kept moving forward.

"And I appreciate your council." Solomon sneered before raising the vial above his head and throwing it to the ground.

The other villains also threw their vials down. Instead of the villains disappearing in a bright flash though, the vials simply shattered in an anticlimactic crash. Solomon and the villains looked down at the broken glass at their feet in complete shock and surprise.

"Wha-?" Uma mumbled as she looked around in utter bewilderment.

Solomon appeared similarly flustered and only looked between the remains of the vials and Ben and his allies, who were still approaching. "You…" He muttered.

"You didn't honestly think we'd just let you leave, did you?" Ben said with a bit of a smirk as he also raised his sword.

"How?" Solomon asked in a bit of a shocked tone, also reaching for the blades around his waist.

"Some friends." Ben replied.

At that moment, the heavy doors of the museum of History Island swung open, revealing a whole company of Auradon officials, carrying spears and shields, with Fairy Godmother in the middle. She had her wand raised and her usually calm and friendly face scrunched up in anger.

The villains were forced to retreat from the door, shocked at how they were now completely surrounded by their enemies. Ben's allies were advancing from all sides, closing them in.

"Surrender! You have no way out!" Ben ordered, looking intently at Mal, who was advancing by his side.

"Solomon!" Uma hissed, looking around in somewhat of a panic.

Solomon, meanwhile, was still glaring mainly at Ben, drops of sweat developing on his forehead. "Magic… M-magic…" He mumbled.

"Your magic won't work here anymore! You are trapped! Now, surrender!" Ben demanded.

"Solomon!" Uma hissed again as she fumbled with her necklace.

"W-what did you do?" Solomon stammered, his voice shaking as he directed himself at Ben.

"A barrier, just like the one on the isle." Ben explained. "You are powerless here and you cannot escape!"

Solomon's eyes suddenly gleamed as he stiffened. "You tricked us…"

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Jay teased.

"Give up! You don't 'have' to die!" Mal threatened.

Ben briefly glanced at her, a little shaken by her outburst, but quickly focused on the cornered villains again. "You don't want to make her mad…" He said with a nod towards Mal.

"You don't frighten me!" Solomon retorted. "You don't know what you're dealing with…"

"Now, now…" Fairy Godmother suddenly said, waving her wand. "Things have already gone a little out of hand… So, how about we simply lay down our swords and we can end this silly feud."

"Jeez, who invited the old bat?" Uma sneered.

"They're not the talkative type, Fairy Godmother." Lonnie told her, keeping her eyes mostly on Uma.

"We have you surrounded! You have no magic! You have no choice but to give up!" Ben ranted.

"You said that you placed on in a barrier just like the one on the isle…" Solomon inquired.

"Right, so no magic…" Ben replied.

"No magic for you, you mean!" Solomon grunted, raising his arms with his hands open wide.

All of the sudden, the ground started shaking like an earthquake and cracks in the ground appeared all around Solomon. Ben and his allies stumbled on the moving ground, trying to keep their footing and their weapons aimed at their enemies. Wind suddenly started blowing as well, as if a hurricane had come out of nowhere. Fairy Godmother nearly fell, but was kept upright by the surrounding soldiers. Everyone screamed and shouted, it was complete panic.

The villains appeared to also have no idea what was happening, judging from their wide-eyed faces and the way in which they broke formation in an attempt to keep their balance. Still, they soon looked around with more of a sense of intrigue as they realized that it was Solomon's intent to cause all this mayhem.

Around him, and above him, Ben saw what appeared to be some sort of transparent dome flickering against the backdrop of the dark night sky. The barrier that Fairy Godmother had conjured up wasn't working correctly and it felt as though there was a continuous shift in temperature around them.

The shaking continued as Solomon raised his hands even higher, visible cracks appearing in the ever flickering barrier around them.

"Ben!" Someone behind him yelled.

Ben immediately turned around, only to find Archer, CJ and Alex on hands and knees, having lost their balance.

"Ben, what do we do!?" Archer practically screamed.

Ben's mind was in a whirl though, as everything around him had erupted into chaos in mere seconds. All around, he saw his friends stumbling, tripping and backing away from the increasingly dangerous area surrounding Solomon.

"M-mal!" Ben stammered, taking a few wobbly steps back as dangerously hard gusts of wind nearly blew him off his feet. "Mal!" He could not see her… Dust and dirt flew around, clouding Ben's vision enough to not be able to distinguish anything in front of him.

Vague shadows danced around him, the flickering of the barrier almost seeming like thunder, the wind howled and the cracks in the ground grew wider as the shaking became more vigorous.

A sudden blast came from Ben's left, blowing away all the dust and revealing the scene in front of him. The earth stopped shaking and the people sprawled about on the ground became visible.

Aside from his friends and foes, who all seemed flustered and confused, one figure stood tall and advanced on the villains who were again on the retreat.

Fairy Godmother, wand raised and pointed straight at their adversaries, slowly moved forward. Her hair looked unkept and there was dirt on her face and clothes, but she nonetheless stepped on, looking quite fierce as she forced Solomon's dark magic back.

"You are trespassing on Auradon soil, I will have no more of it!" She yelled, resolutely sending waves of magic at Solomon, who trembled and stumbled as he was forced to retreat.

"Ben!" Someone beside him yelled.

Ben looked back to see Mal, kneeling on the ground but seemingly unhurt.

"Mal! Are you alright?" He asked.

"Y-yes…" Mal replied as she looked over at the intense magical battle which was still raging. "Should we help her?"

"She, ehm, appears to be doing just fine…" Ben mumbled as he helped her up.

Fairy Godmother was still using her magic, bright sparks flying from her wand and creating a shiny, transparent wall between herself and Solomon. Uma, Harry and the other villains held out their weapons in a vain attempt to somehow shield themselves.

Around them, their friends and allies stood back upright, watching on in awe. Still, though the tide appeared to be turning, no one really knew what to do as they simply looked on with their weapons held loosely in their hands.

The magic battle began to get fierce again as Solomon regained his footing and fought Fairy Godmother inch for inch. The magical wall in between the two started pulsating, sending blasts of pure magical energy in every direction.

"What is she doing?" Ben asked over the roaring of the spells being cast.

"She's trying to encapsulate him in another barrier." Mal answered, staring open-mouthed.

"C-can we help her?" Ben questioned.

At that moment, a bolt of lightning sprung from the magical barrier and practically blasted a hole near Ben and Mal's feet, causing them to move back a few steps. Everyone around them had already taken cover as more and more blasts of magic erupted from the duel and caused havoc around them.

Ben quickly ushered Mal away from the fight, behind a small wall where Evie and Carlos were already taking shelter.

"Mal! Ben! What is she doing!?" Carlos yelled over the crashing sounds of the battle.

"Is she winning?" Evie added, shielding her head from flying debris.

"We don't know!" Mal shouted as the roaring of the magical battle became even louder.

"We need to get out of here! It's not safe!" Ben roared, looking around only to see all his allies on the retreat.

"After you." Carlos nodded as they tried to stay as low to the ground as possible.

In front of him, Ben saw Archer, CJ and a handful of soldiers, all taking cover and heading towards the bridge as fast as possible. When Ben looked back at the battle, he saw to his shock how Solomon had managed to conjure up some sort of black smoke which he fired in Fairy Godmother's direction. Fairy Godmother, in return, looked to be on the defensive, her wand trembling in her outstretched arm.

"Mal!?" Ben called out in alarm.

"Oh my god…" Mal gasped when she saw what was happening.

"Help her… Mal, you have to help her!" Ben said in a pleading tone.

"Stand back." Mal warned as she stepped out of their cover and took a deep breath.

Her eyes suddenly glowed a bright green as Mal spread her arms. Ben looked on in complete awe as the first wisps of purple smoke began to appear around Mal, and he knew what was happening…

Before Mal could make any progress with her transformation, the ground shook and everyone was blown back by a huge explosion erupting from the place where Fairy Godmother had been dueling with Solomon.

Ben watched on helplessly as Mal was flung back. He made a desperate attempt to catch her, but she flew past him and hit the ground hard. "Mal!" He screamed in a panic as a cloud of dust once again settled in, obscuring his sight.

Everything was almost terrifyingly silent, the deafening sound of the magical battle having rapidly faded away. Ben looked back at the place where the duel had taken place, where smoke and dust rapidly disappeared to reveal the villains standing in a completely desolate spot of destruction.

Solomon was also still standing, smoke rising from him as if he was burning. The others were still silent, looking over the battlefield as if they still weren't sure if it was all over. Looking back even further, Ben was shocked to see Fairy Godmother on her back, obviously having been flung back with great force. She was not moving, and her eyes were closed.

"You made a great mistake!" Solomon barked, making Ben jerk up his head to look at him. "You have no idea what's coming for you!"

Ben was frozen in place, taking heaving breaths as he felt fear and anger course through his body.

Solomon raised his arm and a rain of red sparks shot into the air and exploded above them all, illuminating them for a second.

"We'll see you on the battlefield, Beasty Boy." Uma cackled, grinning widely as he examined Ben before stepping back to join the other villains.

"Play time's over." Solomon grunted as he reached into his pockets and retrieved yet another vial of clear liquid.

"No!" Ben yelled as he tightly grabbed his sword and stormed at his enemies.

The villains looked semi-amused but also apprehensive as they all grabbed their respective potions and threw them to the ground as one. This time, the glass spattered and a cloud of bright, white smoke engulfed the villains. Ben charged straight into the cloud with a scream but found no one in his path. The smoke disappeared almost instantly, again giving Ben a clear view of the battlefield.

The villains had disappeared, to where Ben did not know. He spun around, hoping desperately and against better knowledge that they were still somehow present. He was thus startled when someone placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Ben! Jesus!" Jay exclaimed as he retracted his hand. "They're gone, Ben… They're gone…"

"Dammit!" Ben shouted at no one in particular.

"Ben!" Someone else yelled.

He looked back, to see a few people crowded around the still grounded Fairy Godmother. Ben hurried over to the group, Jay right behind him. "I-is she… Is she…" He stammered, the thoughts in his head too terrible to voice aloud.

"She's alive…" Alex mumbled as he felt Fairy Godmother's pulse and raised her head a little. "But unconscious…"

"What happened?" Jay asked.

"How the hell should we know?" Royce spat. "A freaking explosion that was… She got thrown back… A nasty fall…"

"That magic they used, it was unlike anything I've ever seen…" Jordan spoke up in a somewhat fearful tone as she kneeled down next to Fairy Godmother as well.

"Call emergency services! We need to have her brought to a hospital right away!" Ben urged, and some of the soldiers surrounding him ran off to do so immediately.

"They're gone, aren't they?" Someone asked from behind Ben.

He turned around and looked straight into the eyes of Archer, who had an all too serious look in his eyes.

"Yes, they've disappeared… Again…" Ben lamented.

"How is she?" Archer added, looking over Ben's shoulder.

"Unconscious, but alive… Emergency services are already being summoned." Ben answered.

"Right…" Archer mumbled. "You should check on Mal by the way…"

"What!? Where is she!?" Ben immediately called out in a panic.

"S-she's right back there… A little dazed, but unhurt." Archer quickly replied.

Ben turned his back on Fairy Godmother and the people around her and ran over to the people on the other side of the square and looked for anything purple. He quickly discovered Mal, sitting down with Evie pressing a cloth against her head.

"Mal! Are you hurt!?" Ben asked as he ran over and kneeled down next to her.

"I'm fine…" Mal mumbled with a grimace.

"She hit her head, nothing major." Evie added, easing Ben's mind a little.

"Fairy Godmother?" Mal then inquired, looking over at the other group of people opposite of her.

"Unconscious, but alive. We have no idea what's happened to her." Ben told Mal and the other people in the near vicinity.

"Is anyone else hurt?" Evie asked.

"Not sure, don't think so though…" Ben mumbled in response.

"Solomon buggered off again, didn't he?" Freddie questioned as he walked up to them and also looked down at Mal with some worry.

"Fucking prick." Mal winced as Evie pressed the cloth against her head again.

"He fled… He's a coward…" Ben grunted, trying to mask his anger. "Mal, did you see what magic he was using?"

"Dark magic." Mal immediately answered. "Powerful as well, to be able to combat the magic of the wand and cause an explosion like that… Damn, I was about to transform as well…"

"Don't you dare blame yourself, and you as well!" Evie urged them. "We knew that it'd be dangerous…"

"The past is past…" Carlos added, joining them as well. "No need to concern ourselves with what happened… What are we going to do now?"

"We go back to our old plan and hunt them down. We found their hideout once and we can do it again." Ben explained in a somewhat steely tone.

"Great, and next time I shall squish that snake Solomon the second I see him!" Mal grunted as she got back to her feet, supported by Evie.

"We need to transport Fairy Godmother and then reconvene at Auradon City. The other rulers will want to know what's transpired." Ben announced to no one in particular.

"Then we'll go after Solomon again, right?" Freddie inquired. "They had those vanishing potions, surely they have some crazy hideout again…"

"Hey, did anyone else see that red spark Solomon shot up into the sky?" Carlos suddenly spoke up.

"Yeah…" Ben and the others all replied.

"What was that? A signal or something?" Carlos contemplated. "If so, then to whom?"

"No one, his whole crew was here, right?" Ben offered. "But it had to have been something…"

"Who could have seen that spark? Who was he trying to reach?" Evie asked.

"Nearly everyone along the coast or at sea… I mean, from this point you can even see…" Ben suddenly stopped talking and turned around to look at the edge of the island, with the coast underneath it.

"Ben? What's wrong?" Mal asked, looking a little worried.

"You can see the isle from here!" Ben grunted as he ran for the edge of the square to look over the broad, dark sea surrounding Auradon.

Beside him, he felt how Mal, Archer and numerous others joined him. Squinting in the near darkness, Ben could not really make out anything particular on the water.

"M-maybe you're mistaken?" Carlos offered.

Just then, the clouds drifted away from the moon and the scene around Ben and on the water was suddenly illuminated by the pale light.

Everyone, including Ben, gasped as they were now able to see what transpired on the sea. Around the isle, where fires appeared as tiny specks of light in the distance, there were ships…

Dozens of ships…

All headed for in one direction…

Auradon…


	6. Chapter 6: War

**Sorry for the long break, but fear not! I fully intend to finish the story so keep your eyes peeled.**

**A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.**

**A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.**

**Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 6: War

"How long before we get there!?" Mal shrieked, sitting restlessly in the back of the car that was currently speeding through the Auradon roads.

"Hours…" Ben murmured, his head bowed complete distress. "Hours…"

"We can get there! We must!" Archer said, fingers tapping impatiently on the hilt of Excalibur.

"Where are we going exactly?" CJ asked. She seemed scared, but less stressed than the others who were present.

"My mom's- ehm, Belle's harbor… The kingdom's largest port. That's where they must be going…" Ben answered.

"We still have men stationed there. They can hold them." Archer stated with confidence.

"How many? How many men?" Mal asked, biting her cheek to the point of actual pain.

"Ehm, a couple of hundred, give or take. Plus the ones actually on water. I'm not sure with how many the villains are, but we must be able to throw them back." Archer replied.

"Ugh, can't this thing go any faster!?" Mal called out in urgency.

"I'm already going twice the speed limit!" Jay yelled from the driver's seat.

Mal groaned as she leaned back and began thumping her head against the seat.

"Hey! None of that!" Ben immediately intervened as he grabbed her tightly by the shoulders.

"Ben, why are we so stupid!?" Mal wailed. "Why did we even bother to listen to him? Now we're out in the middle of nowhere, the attack has started and Fairy Godmother is injured…"

"Don't lose hope! We can fix this! We must!" Ben urged.

Mal just rested her head against the seat again and closed her eyes. She just felt such an extreme mix of annoyance and fear. Really, if Ben wasn't there, she would have just kept smacking herself on the head until all this had blown over.

This level of stress, which even overshadowed her first breakdown during cotillion, could really not be healthy for any living person. As the car continued to drive along the road at an alarming speed, and the others just kept on trying to make reassuring plans on how to throw back the villains, Mal was simply too lost in her own thoughts to pay attention to anything that was happening around her.

They had been fooled, again! They had been too stupid, too trusting, again! They had had too much faith in the possible good side of every villain, again! And they had again allowed themselves to hope… To hope that a violent outcome wasn't somehow inevitable.

Mal had known this from the start, she realized this now… She knew Solomon and Uma, and knew that neither of them was to be reasoned with, especially regarding anything related to her or a possible invasion of Auradon. Ben, Evie, Archer and all those others had their nice talks and hopes of a peaceful resolution, and they had somehow even managed to make her believe in them as well.

Now the shit had finally really hit the fan. They'd had plenty of warnings. Freddie's kidnapping, the attack on the school, the battle in the woods… All signs that these new opponents were not messing around. CJ had even warned them about the plans of the villains, and still Mal had always felt as though Auradon did not take the threat as serious as they should have. Perhaps this had something to do with the arrogance that Mal still saw way too often in Auradonian society. Even after Mal and the VK's had proven themselves, after they had successfully brought dozens of children from the isle and after Ben had proposed to her, they still doubted them.

Mal quickly smacked herself in the head when Ben wasn't watching, trying to distance herself from all these useless thoughts. It didn't matter how or why everything was happening, what mattered was what was happening!

The ride seemed endless, even with Jay nearly crashing the car several times in his attempt to reach Belle's harbor as fast as possible. Ben kept receiving updates about the battle, which did absolutely nothing to relief anyone any stress.

While Mal was busy trying not to burst into tears, she saw Ben constantly tapping away on his phone, doing his best to answer everyone's frightened questions. Archer and CJ were holding hands on the seats behind Ben and Mal, but they didn't talk or even exchange a look as far as Mal could see. Lonnie was seated next to Jay in the front, keeping a feverish grip on her sword.

Behind them, two more cars were racing across the Auradon roads. Evie, Carlos, Freddie, Jordan, Chad, the righteous sons, and a few extra soldiers were seated in those, but Mal had no idea what was going through their minds.

"Look…" Lonnie eventually spoke up, pointing out the car's front window.

Everyone looked, and they didn't need to ask what she was referring to. In the far distance, along the Auradon shoreline, a bright light illuminated both the mainland and the shallow waters.

Fire… A lot of it…

"Damn…" Ben groaned, his eyes wide with shock.

"That must be Belle's Harbor…" Archer mumbled, squeezing himself in between Ben and Mal to get a better look.

"They're still fighting…" Mal said, still seeing the occasional small explosion appear in the sea of flames, which could only indicate that the attacking villains hadn't yet achieved victory.

"The town was evacuated, that was already confirmed." Archer stated.

"The Auradon soldiers must be holding out… They must be…" Ben stammered, still not taking his eyes off the faraway devastation for one second.

"We have to help… We have to push them back…" CJ spoke up from the back.

"We will!" Mal confidently said, since Ben was staying alarmingly silent.

"We can't let them establish a base on the mainland!" CJ went on. "They cannot stay!"

"They won't!" Mal replied, both confident and a little agitated.

After that, no one in the car really spoke again for some time, until the blazing fires of Belle's Harbor started getting disturbingly close.

"We're getting close." Jay confirmed from the front seat, still stepping on the gas.

"Everyone, get your weapons ready." Archer suggested. "We don't want to simply hang about when we get there…"

It was somewhat lucky that they were already armored up, Mal thought to herself as everyone clutched their swords. Back on History Island they had already been prepared for a fight, and now they were actually heading towards one.

As they neared the outskirts of the town, they were awaited by a crowd of panicky people. Most of them were Auradon soldiers, but there were some ordinary civilians there as well.

"King Ben! King Ben!" They immediately shouted once Ben exited the car.

"King Ben! They've swarmed the harbor, burning everything down in their path!" One man dressed in a night shirt and overcoat yelled.

"They crushed our fleet and costal defenses, but we've managed to hold them up in the town…" One soldier began explaining.

"What do we do!? What do we do!?" An hysterical woman cried.

"Everyone! Quiet down!" Ben roared, and the crowd's noise immediately died down. Now, only the sounds of destruction from Belle's Harbor were still audible. "You!" Ben then said, directing himself to the soldier who apparently held the highest rank. "Why are these people not evacuated yet?"

"We lack for transportation, sir." The soldier explained. "Flaming projectiles from the town destroyed some of our busses."

"You can take these cars…" Ben said, tossing the keys to the soldier. "And more will come. Get all these people out before rejoining the fight. Is there anyone I can talk to about the battle's current standings?"

"That would be general Knight… He's held up in the middle of the town with his company…" The soldier explained.

"Okay…" Ben nodded before turning to Mal and the others. Jay, Lonnie, Archer and CJ stood at the front, with the other righteous sons, Evie, Carlos and Chad just behind them. Freddie, Jordan and a few other Auradon soldiers stood even further back. "No time to lose, let's head in!" He told them.

Everyone nodded solemnly, with Jay and Alex both shouting a war cry as they started running for the town.

Before Mal could join them, Ben had grabbed her by the arm and stopped her in her tracks. "Are you sure you want to join?" He asked.

"Ben, don't even start!" Mal warned her.

"I just wanted to make sure…" Ben mumbled as he also joined the others. "You made a pretty nasty fall back on History Island."

"And I plan on repaying Solomon with a far nastier injury." Mal spat.

"Don't do anything rash, though…" Ben warned. "And at least try not to get hurt…"

Mal nodded, but still felt far too tense to conjure up anything resembling a smile.

The group hurried down towards the center of Belle's Harbor, where the sounds of battle were the loudest. Even in the outskirts of the town, the streets were already covered in rubble, with some pieces still smoldering. There were no civilians left in this area, and Mal couldn't be more thankful for that, but they did run into several soldiers. Some of these were running towards the violence, while others were dragging themselves, or others, away from the fighting. Mal saw several Auradon soldiers with nasty injuries, but neither she or anyone from the group stopped to inspect them.

After turning one corner, they suddenly found themselves in a square full of soldiers, who were all carrying, swords, shields, spears or crossbows. These soldiers were being directed by one man in the middle of the square, who shouted instructions at the top of his lungs.

Ben and Archer hurried towards this man, who bowed when he noticed the two. What followed was a quick conversation with a lot of pointing and gesturing before Ben and Archer returned.

"What's the sitch?" Aden asked.

"They've taken the coast and the harbor." Archer started explaining. "Some of Triton's ships have shown up, so they're still busy on sea, but they're running rampant in the town… They're attacking from the main road, and slowly advancing as well…"

"Let's get them then!" Jay shouted, much to the approval of the righteous sons.

"We're going to split up." Ben spoke up.

"What?" Mal exclaimed in alarm.

"We need to aid the soldiers from all angles." Ben explained, not calming Mal's nerves at all, before he turned to the others. "Archer will lead a group of soldiers straight down from the north, this will be our main force. I will lead a smaller party from the east, and Jay, I hoped that you would lead one from the west."

"Of course." Jay nodded.

"Hold on, he gets to lead?" Lonnie questioned.

"You can both lead if that makes it more acceptable!" Ben replied with a hint of annoyance. "For now, you can split up however you'd like. Mal, you're coming with me."

Mal nodded, and followed Ben when he then immediately walked off.

"Ben, what are we gonna do?" Mal asked.

"Join up with some other soldiers and try to push the villains back." Ben explained. "Archer, Jay and Lonnie will do the same from the other side, and hopefully that will be enough."

"What did the, ehm, general say?" Mal went on.

"That the villains are far more intense and reckless than anything they've faced before…" Ben began. "That they're laying waste to the town, without caring who or what they might find in any of the buildings… That they're complete savages… That they're using magic, and burning everything in sight… In any case, they're winning at the moment…"

"Let's put a stop to that." Mal confidently replied, causing Ben to sport a small grin.

They waited at the edge of the square, where they were soon joined by a horde of soldiers. Evie, Freddie, Jordan and Aden joined them as well.

"Alright…" Ben loudly spoke, addressing his soldiers. "Our job is to keep a tight formation, engage the enemy and push them back. We should expect no mercy from our enemies, but we must show it. Use deadly force only when absolutely necessary! Keep an eye on each other and don't make any rash decisions! I will see you all when this is over!"

The soldiers all cheered, raising their weapons in support of their king. Mal didn't join them, but simply stood back in admiration of Ben's leadership skills for a second.

Ben himself led the group of soldiers, with Aden at his side. Just as Mal wanted to follow him, Evie pulled her aside for a second.

"M, I'm scared…" She said her eyes wide and serious.

"Me too…" Mal replied, though not entirely truthfully.

"Promise me that you'll make it out alive…" Evie told her, holding up her pinkie.

"I promise…" Mal complied, threading her own pinkie through Evie's. She knew it was an empty promise, but what else could she do. "But you need to make it out alive too!" Mal retorted. "We all do…"

"Then we will…" Evie graciously replied. "Right after we show everyone that Auradon is our home now!"

"Couldn't agree more…" Mal smirked.

Evie then grabbed Mal's hand and they ran after the soldiers. The sounds of battle grew ever louder. People were screaming, buildings were collapsing and fire was raging. Every once in a while, a giant ball of fire would fly over their heads and crash somewhere further back. Mal even saw several brightly colored sparks which were definitely magical in origin. They hadn't encountered any adversaries yet, but were constantly confronted by other Auradon soldiers.

Some of these were running to and from the battle, delivering orders and tactical advise. Others joined up with Ben's squad, which grew larger and larger. Some were trying to clear some of the rubble, carrying tools and shouting for assistance. Most were moving away from the battle though, pressing cloth to still bleeding injuries or carrying wounded comrades on their shoulders. Mal, to her horror, saw how some soldiers had grotesquely contorted limbs, horrific burns, or large head wounds. She wanted to stay behind and help people, but also knew that the best way she'd be able to help would be by aiding in the fighting.

Ben ran through the streets with a determined expression on his face, and his sword gripped tightly in his hand. Aden had already conjured up his machetes, and kept close to Ben. Mal and Evie were at the back, along with Freddie and Jordan.

It took a few more minutes before they reached the actual battle, but when they did, things immediately went mental.

They turned one corner, and suddenly found themselves right in between two fighting parties. There was a large crossroads with a now abandoned market place in the middle. The villains apparently held the numerical advantage for now, and were seemingly steadily pushing back the Auradon forces. From a quick glance at the battlefield, Mal could see how the villains had gathered an arsenal of improvised weaponry and hand-made shields in numerous colors, meaning they were easily distinguishable from the grey, blue and yellow of the Auradon soldiers.

"Shields!" Ben suddenly yelled, after which the Auradon soldiers raised their shields and locked them together in a tight formation. Not one second later, the sound of a dozen or so arrows hitting the front of the shields was heard.

Mal cursed herself. She had been so busy with looking at the battlefield, that she hadn't noticed an entire company of archers firing at them. Thankfully though, Ben had.

"You okay?" Ben asked as he joined up with her for a second.

"I'm fine." Mal reassured him. "Don't worry about me, you focus on your soldiers."

Ben nodded, leaned in to kiss her one more time, and then ran back to the center of his army, next to Aden, where they began to think of a strategy.

"What are we going to do?" Freddie asked, tightly grasping her sword.

"Jordan, can you give magical assistance?" Mal asked.

"I can try." Jordan replied. "What do you want me to do?"

"See if you can stop those fireballs." Mal proposed, gesturing at the flaming projectiles that were still flying over their heads.

"Done." Jordan nodded before immediately stepping back, out of view from the rest of the fight.

"What about us?" Evie asked, pointing to her and Freddie.

"You…" Mal began, looking back momentarily to see Ben and his men breaking formation and storming at the enemy with their swords raised. "Follow Ben, but don't get yourself killed!" She added, grabbing her own sword and running after Ben.

Evie and Freddie followed her, both with swords as well, and they soon found themselves in the middle of the chaos.

Mal had already lost track of Ben, who had moved further towards the middle of the crossroads, seemingly trying to break through the enemy lines. With Evie by her side, Mal also began hacking into whatever enemy she could find.

It was extremely disorientating, and soon Mal had no idea where they had actually come from or where she was supposed to be heading. All she was doing was trying to stay alive and incapacitate as many enemies as she could find. It was weird, because she knew and hated most of them… These people recognized her as well, and this seemingly only increased the ferocity with which they tried to chop her head off.

Mal didn't hold back, and proved to both herself and her opponents that she was a much better fighter. Evie naturally helped, always looking out primarily for Mal before watching her own back. Together, they managed to disarm most of their foes, while others just plain fled.

Every once in a while, a salvo of arrows would fly over their heads, but they had no way of knowing if these were friendly fire or not. Around them, Auradon soldiers were constantly dragging their wounded comrades away from the battlefield, whereas the villains simply jumped over their downed companions to throw themselves into battle again.

Ben was still nowhere to be found, even though Mal kept keeping an eye out for him. She started panicking a little as she moved past dozens of people, none of which had Ben's brown hair or richly adorned sword.

Where was he? What if something happened to him? What if he was hurt?

Around them, more buildings started catching fire, basking the struggle in a constant flickering orange glow. Mal thought that she, Evie and Freddie were moving closer to shore, dodging dueling duos and piles of rubble in their search of more opponents.

All of the sudden, cannonballs were flying around everywhere, destroying every building in the nearby vicinity.

"Look out!" Evie screamed as she pulled Mal back behind a solid wall.

Not a second later, a cannonball smashed into the ground in front of them, making debris fly around like grenade shards. Mal, Evie and Freddie stayed hidden for a few seconds, just to make sure there wasn't anything threatening to fly into them and cause permanent damage.

"Where do we go, M?" Evie asked, looking around feverishly for oncoming enemies.

"We need to find Ben…" Mal replied, a little panicky. "I need to find Ben…"

"He went to the right there somewhere…" Freddie said, still staying low.

Mal took the risk and raised herself up a little, looking across the market which was still filled with fighting soldiers. The fires still illuminated the battlefield, which made It difficult to distinguish one person from the other. Still, Mal hoped against better knowledge that her connection to Ben would mean that she would easily be able to find him…

"There's Jay!" Evie suddenly hissed, pointing to the middle of the marketplace, where a long-haired fighter was taking on two assailants at once.

"Let's help him!" Mal resolutely replied, staying crouched down as she left her hiding place and rejoined the fighting.

On their way to Jay, she, Evie and Freddie took out multiple villains, who were then immediately jumped by Auradon soldiers.

"Hey guys!" Jay enthusiastically shouted once he noticed them. He didn't sound like he was either dazed or tired at all. "What brings you here?"

"Jay, what's happening?" Mal asked, taking advantage of their momentary respite.

"We pushed them back from the west, now we're aiding in the middle…" Jay explained, wiping his brow.

"Where's Lonnie?" Freddie asked.

"Fighting somewhere…" Jay answered, beaming with pride.

"Have you seen Ben?" Mal inquired, unable to not sound panicky.

"I, ehm…" Jay stammered, noticing Mal's distress. "We can find him together…"

Mal nodded, and then followed Jay into the fray in search of Ben. Together, they moved further and further towards the coast, where the fighting was even more intense. There was no building left untouched here, but at least the villains weren't bombarding this area with cannonballs. More and more fighters kept showing up from both sides, but the fight appeared to be a stalemate at this point. The villains were still as aggressive as ever, but the Auradonians now held superior numbers and were thus able to hold them back.

Behind Mal, near the town's center, the villains were spread out and apparently on the retreat. Ahead of her, near the harbor, more and more villains kept pouring from the sea and joining the fight.

Mal kept looking out for Ben, but was still unsuccessful. In the flickering light of the fires, every Auradon soldier looked alike. A few times, Mal was certain she saw Ben, only for it to be someone else…

"Alex!" Freddie suddenly yelled before running off.

Looking to her side, Mal saw Alex's enormous shape drive back a handful of enemies with his war hammer. Freddie hurried towards him, her sword raised.

"No!" Jay called out, grabbing Mal's arm just as she was planning on chasing after Freddie. "She can handle herself!"

Behind Mal, Evie was also visibly not happy to leave Freddie behind, but she didn't object.

Mal panicked again, as more and more bodies started dropping around her. She was worried about everyone… Where was Carlos? Where were Lonnie, Chad or the righteous sons? Where were Archer and CJ? But of course she was mainly worried about Ben.

She just kept following Jay, who occasionally raised his shield to cover both him and Mal from flying arrows. Every once in a while, a villain would emerge out of nowhere and try to fight her, but these weren't that much trouble with both Jay and Evie at her side.

"There!" Evie then abruptly shrieked, pointing a trembling finger.

A little further down the main road… In a somewhat open space… There he was…

Ben was still fighting! He had a large cut on the side of his face, and his hair was sweaty and matted down his forehead, but he was still fighting! Aden was beside him, a machete in either hand, and he was taking on a very aggressive Ginny Gothel!

Not paying attention to Jay's warnings, Mal immediately sprinted towards Ben, ignoring every villain in her path as well. She kept focusing on Ben, worried that he'd again disappear if she'd take her eyes off him.

"Ben!" She screamed, right as she got within earshot.

Ben looked up, and had to pay for that momentary lapse of judgement when his attacker grazed his elbow with a well-aimed sword strike.

"No!" Mal yelled, sprinting even faster to basically bash Ben's attacker away from him.

Ben had regained his senses, and together they managed to disarm and knock down their opponent within a minute.

"Mal!" Ben exclaimed, his eyes beaming with happiness when he saw her.

"Ben!" Mal repeated, throwing herself into his arms, all the destruction around them momentarily forgotten. For about one glorious second, they forgot about the battle as they hugged each other fiercely, but a loud yell alerted them.

Ginny Gothel had managed to cut one of Aden's hands with her dagger. Ben and Mal turned towards him, but Aden already managed to kick one of Ginny's legs out from under her and then disarmed her with a few quick slashes of his machetes.

Before Ben and Mal could do anything else, a large man from the isle, wielding an axe, suddenly stormed at them, but was pushed aside by Jay and then knocked down by Evie.

"Ben! There you are…" Jay said, joining up with him and Mal.

"How'd it go on your side?" Ben asked, surveying the battlefield.

"We managed to push them back to the main road. I'm guessing Lonnie and Chad are still looking for stragglers." Jay recounted.

"Good… Good…" Ben mumbled, reaching up with his hand to feel the deep gash in his cheek.

"Are you alright?" Mal asked in a worried tone, leaning in to examine the injury as well.

"It's nothing… What about you?" Ben responded.

"Totally unharmed, mostly thanks to Evie…" Mal answered.

"Then I should thank you as well." Ben told Evie.

"It's nice to be acknowledged…" Evie shrugged, brushing a little dust off her shoulder.

"What's happening, Ben? Are we winning?" Mal inquired, looking back at the still fighting mob behind her.

"I'm not sure…" Ben answered truthfully. "We don't know how many there are… We don't know what their exact goal is… There's also been no sign of Solomon or his party…"

"That's good, right?" Evie questioned.

"No, we need to capture him and the cauldron as fast as possible!" Ben answered. "The war will not end until that happens…"

"Let's find him then…" Mal told Ben, just as another cannonball flew over their heads. "Together…"

"First we push this invasion force back…" Ben replied, though his eyes did sparkle a little. "Then we'll see…"

"Speaking of which…" Jay mumbled, looking beyond where Ben and Mal stood.

Mal immediately turned around, and didn't need to ask what Jay was looking at. There were dozens of small boats heading straight for the shore, all filled to the brim with people… These were definitely not friendly people, but a whole new legion of villains waving their weapons and torches around.

Now, the battle was mostly even at this point, but reinforcements of this magnitude could definitely turn the tide. Mal got scared again. Sure, she had found Ben, but the battle was far from over…

"Damn…" Jay groaned. "Just when I thought things were going to be easy…"

"Do we have enough men to hold them back?" Mal asked.

"I don't know…" Ben muttered, looking back at the still fighting parties in the town.

There were still a lot of people locked in combat behind them, but the Auradon forces were definitely on the winning hand. Mal was sure, however, that the battle could take a drastic turn when their new adversaries would arrive.

"We have to move back… We're totally exposed out here…" Aden said, walking up next to them. Behind him, Ginny Gothel was squirming on the ground, her arms cuffed behind her back.

"Where's Archer?" Mal asked, looking back towards the town. "He led the largest force, didn't he?"

"We'll regroup…" Ben stated. "Team up with Archer, form a line, and push these maniacs back into the sea."

"Yes!" Jay shouted, running back into the fray to gather his troops.

"Aden, find someone with a flare. We need to signal our troops that they should retreat. Don't stay out too long, and come find us when we've taken position again!" Ben ordered.

Aden just nodded before running off, with Ginny Gothel screaming some obscenities when he passed her.

"What do we do?" Mal asked, pointing to her and Evie.

"You're staying with me." Ben resolutely said. "I'm never letting you out of my sight again!"

"Fine with me." Mal smiled.

"That's real sweet, guys, but we should go…" Evie said in a bit of a hesitant tone, just as a blue flare suddenly shot up into the sky behind them.

"That's the signal, let's head back." Ben acknowledged, leading the girls back into the town.

Around them, more Auradon soldiers reacted to the flare by running back. The villains apparently didn't know what to make of it and stayed back, shouting loudly. Mal just followed Ben, who looked over his shoulder every few seconds to make sure she was still there. Evie had grabbed her hand, and Mal wasn't planning on letting go.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a wall of Auradon shields rose up in the middle of the main street.

"Ben!?" A familiar voice spoke.

The wall of shields opened up, and out stepped Archer, CJ, Carlos and Royce.

"Archer!" Ben exhaled as he walked up to the latter and shook his hand. "We missed you on the battlefield…"

"Some of those fireballs had crashed further up into the street…" Archer started explaining. "We had to clear them in order to get past… When we finally got here, the flare had already been lit… What's wrong? Are we retreating?"

"No, right?" Royce jumped in, scanning the space behind Mal.

"No." Ben answered. "There was a whole bunch of boats about to reach the shore… Reinforcements… Hundreds… I thought it'd be best to regroup with your party…"

"Good plan…" Archer muttered. "Boats only? Nothing from the flanks?"

"Nothing as far as we could see…" Ben shrugged.

"Have you seen Solomon?" CJ asked.

"No. Wherever he is, it's not on the battlefield." Mal answered.

"Typical…" CJ sneered.

"Let's get a move on, guys." Archer then spoke up. "Get behind the shield wall, and I'll have them advance to the shore. We're bound to run into the villains at some point that way…"

Ben nodded, and then gestured to the others to move through the opening in the shield wall.

Behind the first row, there were a lot more Auradon soldiers, including some of the ones Mal had hoped to see.

"Freddie!" She called out when she spotted her friend.

"Mal!" Freddie replied, grinning broadly. "Evie! You guys are alright…"

"You are as well… Thank god…" Mal breathed a sigh of relief. "Where's everyone else?"

"Ehm, Aden just came by… He and Alex are off to the front lines. I saw Jay and Lonnie on the other side of the street, Chad was with them too… Jordan is still further in town, literally putting out fires…" Freddie explained rapidly. "And Carlos is…"

"Right here…" Carlos spoke up as walked up behind Mal and Evie. "I'm happy to see you're all unharmed."

"Same here." Mal smirked as she ruffled up Carlos's hair. "How'd you do?"

"I stayed close to Archer and CJ most of the time… I have to say it's really reassuring being behind those two during a battle…" Carlos said in a joking manner.

"Coward…" Evie snapped, though she did smile.

"So, what's happening now? Are we falling back?" Freddie asked.

"We're regrouping…" Mal started explaining. "Look at the shield wall… We're going to push the villains right back into the sea…"

"Good." Freddie nodded. "So, are we needed?"

Before she even opened her mouth, a loud voice from behind Mal already answered that question.

"Everyone to the front lines! Come on!" A large Auradon officer shouted at all the lounging troops. "You too, get out th-" He had started yelling at Mal before he realized who she was. "Ooh… Milady, I didn't mean to-" He stammered.

"It's fine." Mal replied. "Come on guys, you heard the man." She then told her friends.

They all passed the somewhat disgruntled officer and headed back to the front of the shield wall. Mal found Ben again, who had been discussing tactics with Archer and Royce, but immediately perked up when he saw her.

"Hey, are you ready?" He asked.

"Born ready." Mal resolutely responded. "Just lead, and we'll follow…"

"Archer has the command." Ben told her. "We try to keep our formation for as long as we can, but you can be damned sure they've got some aces up their sleeves…"

"I can help." Mal offered. "Let me transform, and I'll help from above…"

"No!" Ben said, so confidently that Mal pulled up her eyebrows in surprise.

"Why not?" She inquired.

"I don't want you to become their main target. No, we're going with standard military tactics first." Ben explained.

"Fine." Mal murmured.

"I'm serious." Ben insisted. "Now's not the time for transforming."

"Fine!" Mal repeated, though she had the nagging feeling that she was kept on the sidelines.

Ben looked at her for one more second, and then turned his back to her to again discuss a few things with Archer. CJ was now standing right next to Mal, and examined her with narrowed eyes.

"Don't get cocky." CJ suddenly said, without even looking directly at her.

"Excuse me?" Mal responded, staring icily at CJ.

"I'm just saying…" CJ began, still not looking at Mal. "Today is not about you, it's about saving Auradon and making sure it doesn't get invaded by murderous maniacs. Now, I'm not saying you're stupid, but Ben and Archer definitely know more about this type of combat than either of us… I'd let them make the big decisions…"

Mal's mouth had dropped. One, because what CJ was saying made at least a bit of sense. Two, because what 'CJ' was saying made a bit of sense.

"We're still here…" CJ went on. "Let's make the most of it! Let's kick some villain ass!"

Now Mal actually smiled. "I'd like that."

"Good." CJ nodded. "Do you need a partner?"

"She already has one." Evie spoke up, squeezing herself between Mal and CJ. "And I'm not letting her out of my sight."

"Fine." CJ responded, a little grumpily.

For about a minute, they just stood there, waiting for Ben, Archer or someone else to give the sign that they should start moving forward. Mal was still standing right behind Ben, with Evie right beside her. Mal tried to calm herself, taking deep breaths and telling herself that everything was going to be okay.


End file.
